


It was just to protect you

by misshelena



Category: The Good Fight (TV), The Good Wife (TV)
Genre: AU, Angst and Romance, Diane mom, F/M, Family Drama, Flashbacks, Hurt/Comfort, Lies, Lockner - Friendship, McHart, Mentions of miscarriage, Own Character, Romance, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2020-03-19 21:39:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 42
Words: 116,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18978856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misshelena/pseuds/misshelena
Summary: 25 years did not extinguish his love forever. But are they able to relive that love? Will the past finally allow them to be happy? There are moments when love is not all that is necessary to be together...





	1. "Reunion"

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! I am finally publishing this. It's my first fanfic so I beg you to have me a little patience. I started to write this many months ago, I do not remember how many, at first I did not think I had success, but now I have written several chapters and I am reaching the end. So I promise not to leave this unfinished!
> 
> I must clarify that I am not a native speaker of English, I speak Spanish since I am from Argentina. This is why there may be some errors, although I have reviewed everything with a translator, something may be wrong.
> 
> I just hope you enjoy it as much as I am enjoying writing it. My happiness is already enormous because I can share my writing with all of you.
> 
> All the comments and criticisms are very well received and feel free to tell me what you like. Thanks for giving me a chance, I will try not to disappoint you!

Clearly, this could be a day that could turn everyone crazy. All the staff were running around the office trying to avoid colliding with each other, Diane and Will had taken a very important case, there was a very large class action suit at stake and, if they won it, it would imply an incredible prestige for the firm, apart from several millions of dollars. From her office, by the large transparent glass that surrounded her, Diane saw the situation outside her office and could not help but smiling as she finished her third coffee of the day and, although she knew that so much caffeine would have consequences, it did not matter to her that much, being able to keep up to date her  work was more important. She remembered silently when she had to run to please Stern and earn a better salary or a promotion , when she was just a young advocate, but those moments had been left behind in her memories as she was a founding partner of Lockhart - Gardner. That firm was the dream of her entire life, since she left the university, with excellent degrees, she swore to herself that she would have her own law firm, no matter what that implied.  
  
Will knocked softly on the door and interrupted her flashbacks of the past. He was her best friend, her partner, she could not imagine what would have been of her life if that young egocentric lawyer had not shown up for a junior associate position in which, at the time, it was Stern and associates. As soon as she saw him she thought she would not fit in that place, Will had too much pride to lower himself to Stern's demands. Diane could see him when he took the interview, but something in him made her hired him, now she could see what it was.  
  
Diane smiled at his angry face, and at what time was Diane's office.  
  
"I think you're getting the role of the evil boss in the head" Will said sharply but at the same time amused as he entered the office of Diane, closing the glass door behind him.  
  
"That's why I wanted to become a boss, I already mentioned that to you," Diane said, throwing her particular laugh.  
  
"I would recommend that you go to work if you do not want the junior lawyers to boycott you and burn you alive..." Will said laughing, while looking through the windows. "They look a little desperate..." Will added as he sat on one of the two large sofas Diane had in front of her desk.  
  
Diane gave one of her classic laughs as she moved her head from side to side. "Sure, because I was probably the one who filled their heads with the idea that their careers depended on the role they could play tomorrow at the trial..." Diane replied ironically, leaning on the back of her chair.  
  
"You have to push them to get good results." Will defended with a shrug. Actually she also believed that, when they put a little pressure on them they worked as if it was a life or death situation, that's how they evaluated which were those that could be useful for the law firm and which ones not. "Oh, by the way, I need you to interview the new ballistics expert, I do not remember his name, but now I'll ask my secretary to get you the folder with his data."  
  
"Remind me why we needed a new ballistics expert..." she asked curiously. Pretending not to remember what it was about, she knew it, but she liked to bother Will.  
  
"If you were not so busy drinking your twentieth coffee, you would know that in the case of Douglas we need the expert to determine that our client was not at the scene when the gun was fired..." Will replied with an accusatory air in his voice, he hated to repeat things more than twice and to Diane this was funny. Although his voice faded when he saw Diane smile enormously, this made him even more angry, she was bothering him.  
  
"Right, that's true... Excuse me, sir, annoying, it will not happen again ..." she replied clearly making a funny face.  
  
"Oh God, you're impossible Diane..." Will expressed, sighing in surrender mode, as he stopped and left the office leaving Diane laughing alone.  
  
Even if she fought him, she knew that without Will she would not have gotten where she was. They made a good team, although when she met him she thought he was a selfcentered young man who would only bring her problems. Eventually she confirmed that he was a self-centered young man but with a huge heart, when one of the two had a problem the other was always there to help. Apart from their good business relationship, they were good friends and trusted the other one things that they might not tell anyone else.  
  
After several minutes, Will's secretary knocked on her door, frightening her and moving her away from her thoughts for the second time. She left the data from the ballistics expert he had mentioned and left the office closing the door. It was common for favors to be given to each other, although she did not personally take care of the Douglas case since this man was a former client of Will, she tried to help whenever she could and had time to do it.  
  
When Diane was about to open the folder that Will's secretary had brought her, her phone started ringing, Diane took it and, seeing the name that appeared on the screen, could not help but smiling...  
  
"Hi, honey!" Diane exclaimed with a smile as she answered the phone. It was her daughter Martha, practically her reason to live together with the law firm.  
  
"Hi Mom! I was calling to remind you that this weekend I'm going to Chicago..." Martha mentioned as if Diane were able to forget that her daughter was coming back to the city after spending months in New York studying. Martha was a couple of subjects away from graduate as a designer and her mother could not be more proud of her. Despite what many people believed, Diane never wanted her to study law, she knew well that it was a very committed career and that she had to give up many things to be someone outstanding in the field, just as she had done throughout of the years…  
  
"How could I forget that my only daughter remembered that she has a mother and is finally coming to visit her?" Diane sai jokingly, she really knew that Martha was building her life in New York and did not have time to spend a few days in Chicago, she had not been able to visit her either. Diane did not want to interfere in her life, she simply wanted her to be happy in the way that Martha considered it to be... "I've already released my schedule so I can spend all my time with you, I’ve missed you so much these months..."  
  
"I know mom, I missed you too much this time... You schedule the activities, we have the whole weekend for the two of us" Martha loved her mother. For her, her mother was amazing, she was her role model, she had always taken care that she did not lack anything despite being a single mother and not having anyone to help her since Diane's parents were not satisfied with their daughter's choice not to marry the father of the child and be a single mother.  
  
Martha did not know who her father was, and she did not care too much. When she was little, whenever she had wanted to bring up the subject of her father, simply out of curiosity, Diane had been firm in the decision that it was better that she knew nothing, after all they did not need a father present.  
  
They talked for a few minutes about how things were going in New York until they heard that they were calling Martha. "I must hang up mom, I'll see you at home on Friday night. I love you."  
  
"Goodbye honey, I love you too" and hung up with a smile plastered on her face. Martha was the only person who managed to get that smile even with a call of just a few minutes. She loved her more than anything in her life and was very happy to have her a few days just for her.  
  
  
\-------------------------  
  
  
The days went by really quickly since Martha’s news, Diane was very anxious with the arrival of her daughter, she couldn’t wait to see her and embrace her. Diane would not have been able to go to New York either, the lawsuit was tied to the firm all week, including weekends, for months. But it had always been like that, she was very demanding with her work, she would not leave an important case or a client to go on vacation for a weekend, that is why she no longer remembered the last time she could take more than three days to get some rest from work and much less be able to visit her daughter.  
  
On Thursday morning, Diane entered her office with her classic coffee in one hand, her handbag hanging delicately in the same arm and in the other hand the writing that had been presented to her by one of the associates who worked in the class action lawsuit. Will and she had to present several of those the following Monday and they had decided to evaluate the young people with that task.  
  
When she reaches her desk, Diane placed her bag in one of the armchairs and the writing on the desk. The letter was really excellent, she reminded herself that she should congratulate the young lawyer for it. Diane sat down in her chair, stretching her skirt delicately so that it did not wrinkle, adjusted her glasses and took the next writing from the pile next to her and began to read it concentrated.  
  
Several minutes passed when her assistant knocked softly on the door forcing Diane to raise her head from the writing and look at Marissa with a frown.  
  
"Marissa, come in. What's wrong?" Diane asked in a neutral voice.  
  
"Diane, I'm sorry to bother you, but Mr. McVeigh is at the reception. Do I make him come inside? " her assistant said, just poking her head through the door.  
  
"Mr. McVeigh? I do not remember any appointment with that last name” Diane says, trying to remember if she had made an appointment with a client. Although it was a name she did not remember, at least not about someone who had a relationship with her office...  
  
"The ballistics expert, Diane. Will asked me to make an appointment for today in the early hours, it seemed important, although I did not know that you would not know anything about the appointment..." Marissa said apologizing for not telling her boss of the meeting.  
  
"Ah... Sure..." Diane murmured, still a bit confused. "Do not worry, Marissa, tell Mr. McVeigh that i will see him in a few minutes..." Diane said hesitantly, Marissa nodded and  left her office closing the door softly.  
  
Diane had not even remembered to read the file about the supposed expert who she had to interview, her daughter's trip had taken her out of reality and now she could not remember where she had left the folder with the data that Will had presented, she just had a couple of minutes to find it without rummaging through her entire office and having to admit that she completely forgot the interview with this man.  
  
She was looking for the folder in the drawers with her back to the door when she heard that they hit.  
  
"Just a seco-" Diane said, without turning to look. When she finally found the damn folder, she smiled to herself and she turned on her high heels to face the man who was still standing at the door.  
  
Seeing him, Diane felt her legs go slack. She would never have imagined that the person she was supposed to interview was him, of course that name reminded her of him, but she could not believe having him standing inside her office. They had not seen each other for 25 years and now she had him in front of her with the same cowboy look she remembered. At least all the guilt she felt for not having read the folder that Will had sent her was gone. Because, even if she had not managed to relate this man to the happy expert, she knew perfectly well who that man was...  
  
"Hello, Diane. After all this time... "Kurt McVeigh, the happy expert in ballistics, managed to pronounce...


	2. "Confessions"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again beautiful!
> 
> First of all, I want to thank all those who took a few seconds of their time to leave their comments and thanks. They made me very happy.
> 
> Here is the second chapter and I hope you enjoy it, little by little the story will take shape, a little patience.
> 
> I will try to upload two chapters per week, although sometimes I may not be able to do it due to my university schedules.
> 
> But, anyway, enjoy the chapter and I'll be waiting for you anxiously with comments :)

Diane's mind was filled with beautiful memories after just a few seconds, it was amazing for her to have the man she had been so happy with 25 years ago in front of her face, right inside her own office and at the law firm that she was driving. What was he doing there? Had he been looking for her all those years? In those seconds that passed, she watched him from head to toe. It was obvious that the years had passed for both of them, this could easily be seen in their bodies, and they were no longer those young people of almost thirty years. But he was exactly as she had remembered him, in his eyes she could see what she had seen before: simplicity, tranquility, and even the same tenderness that had enchanted her so many years ago. His hair was covered with gray hair, and some wrinkles marked his face, but it was still him, it was always him.  
  
After several seconds of silence, Diane realized that he had already greeted her and had stared at her with a funny expression while she had simply stared at him with astonishment as she continued lost in her thoughts.  
  
"Kurt..." her voice was practically a low whisper. "I can not believe this is you... I mean... It's been many years since you and I..." she said stammering though it was something unusual in her and he had noticed that she was nervous.  
  
"Yes, it's true, it's been several years..." Kurt replied in a higher tone, while looking at her amused. "But, from the expression in your face, you're surprised to see me here..." he was smiling, practically expecting that reaction from her when she saw him there. He knew he was going to meet her, Will had clarified it on the phone when they made the appointment and, although he would never admit it, he accepted the interview to see her again.  
  
"No, well..." she replied almost embarrassed. "I had a lot of things in my head and I completely forgot to read the folder that contained your file, I really did not know you were the ballistics expert who Will had hired" Diane was stupefied, she kept looking at him and  thinking about the strange plot twist that fate had prepared to her which she had to face. "Please, sit down," she said pointing to the sofa that was in front of her desk as she sat in her place behind the desk.  
  
Kurt obeyed right away, still smiling for a second. "How have you been? It's been too long since we've seen each other... 20 years?" he asked, lying, since he remembered exactly the day he saw her for the last time.  
  
"25 years to be exact" Diane said trying to sound carefree. "And it's amazing that you're the same... I mean, we're not those young people anymore..." Diane mentioned trying to smile, although her face did not reflect anything but amazement.  
  
"Let me say that you are just like 25 years ago Diane, it's amazing how you don’t reflect the passing of time..." Kurt added, looking at her straight in the eye.  
  
And there she blushed, looking  
down at the papers she had on  
her desk in front of her. It had  
been so many years and so  
many things, good and bad, but  
that man was still the only one  
who managed to make her  
blush like that. She had forced  
herself not to remember her  
years with him because they  
hurt her badly. She tried to put  
a barrier to her past with him, it  
was a life changing thing in her  
life, although it is a moment she  
always remembered with great  
affection.  
  
After a long awkward silence between them, she was the one who, together with the courage necessary to talk about the topic they were supposed to talk about, explained the Douglas case to him with all the details that she had, although she had not read all the investigation about the case yet. She had listened to Will when he explained it to her when deciding whether to take it or reject it. She handed him a copy of the investigation and the files to him, and he simply thanked her, promising that he would read them as soon as possible.  
  
She did not need to ask him about his work, that man was the same young man, with dreams of becoming an expert in ballistics and building his own laboratory, the one she fell madly in love with so many  years ago. She knew him and she knew that he should be the best professional in the field, as he had set out to be, she knew that he would achieve anything. After all, seeing him, she could see that he was still the same man.  
  
"Excuse me for asking you this..." Kurt said pulling her out of her thoughts and from the contract she pretended to be reviewing, he was still sitting in front of her while waiting for her to prepare all the papers he was supposed to sign. "I’m curious about what happened to your life, I never knew anything about you after... You know..."  
  
Diane took off her glasses and studied him intently, frowning. What was the truth he should know? Was it worth it to tell him  everything that happened after 25 years? She cleared her throat and tried to answer without looking insecure... "My life is what you see, Kurt... I mean, I finished studying, I graduated and I started trying to fulfill that dream I spoke of when I was young... " she said smiling as she looked around.  
  
Kurt nodded, also smiling. How could she forget how much she had longed to have her own law firm. "I remember that you had only a few subjects left to graduate... You do not know how happy I am that you could accomplish this, Diane..." Kurt said and his tone was sincere. He was really glad to see her well, she had noticed.  
  
She felt that now it was her turn to find out about his life. "And you? How have you been?" Diane asked curiously, although she tried not to seem too interested, she was really interested to know what happened to his life in all those years.  
  
Kurt shrugged. "Just like you, I built mu business and I have the laboratory I always wanted..." he paused to see Diane's blue eyes as she nodded, being pleased by what she was hearing. "You know... It's good to see that we are the people we wanted to be when we were young..." Kurt confessed in a slightly lower voice than before. He got up from the sofa to observe the office. Something forced him to stop looking at the several pictures that Diane had on her side and ask curiously... "Did you have children?" he asked, pointing to a picture Diane had on the side of the window next to her picture with Hillary. It was a photo of Martha in her high school several years ago, although the photo was old, she remembered that day as one of the happiest of her life.  
  
Diane looked up again from the contract and turned her head to see him. A "yes" escaped her mouth before she could think twice. "Her name is Martha ..." she answered in a voice as low as a whisper.  
  
"It reminds me of you, several years ago ..." Kurt confessed and stared at the picture as if there was something he did not understand... "You must have got married then... I mean, for you to have had a daughter..." although, after saying this , looked at Diane's hands proving that she had no alliance.  
  
Diane stared at him and did not know what to say about it, she felt trapped between his questions, the past, the truth and even the deception. And to save her from the uncomfortable situation that was beginning to form, Will entered and without knowing anything of what was happening in that office, let alone in Diane's head, Will saved her from an uncomfortable situation that she would never know how it could have finished... Both men greeted each other shaking their hands and began to talk about the case. Diane tried to listen to what they were talking about but her thoughts took her out of the room immediately.  
  
  
 _Arriving late, as always, she entered the party organized by her best friend on campus. Wanting to be the best student had a big cost, she lived practically for her studies and when she allowed herself to go to a party she ended up arriving late because she lose the notion of time while studying.  
  
She arrived and the party was at its best, several of her classmates were there, including the hostess Sarah, who had practically forced her to go because her boyfriend was going with a friend and needed Diane so that the young man would not be left alone. She had refused at first, but it was true that she had forgotten the last time she allowed herself to go to a party other than that she owed Sarah several favors.  
  
"Diane, finally! I was already  starting to believe that you were not going to come. Why did you come so late? ... Do not say anything, you stayed studying as usual," she expressed hugging Diane. Sarah was like that, she spoke so fast that it seemed that she did it for both of them.  
  
"I'm surprised you think I could fail you, here I am" Diane said laughing.  
  
"Come, I want to introduce you to John's friend," she recounted, immediately grabbing her hand and leading her through the crowd to the corner where the two young men were. "Love, Diane came," Sarah mentioned to her handsome boyfriend.  
  
"Hello Diane, I have not seen __you for a long time, you look_ _beautiful" John said as he_ _hugged her. He did not wait to_ _introduce her to his friend._ _"Kurt, she's Diane, Sarah's best_ _friend, she studies law."  
_  
 _She did not believe in love at_ _first sight, it was totally stupid_ _for two people to feel mutual_ _love just by seeing each other._ _But she had to admit that when_ _she saw Kurt standing there_ _she felt something inside her_ _that she had never felt, that_ _young man aroused a strange_ _feeling in her. She looked him_ _straight in the eyes and she_ _could feel that she had known_ _him all her life, that there was_ _something that united them.  
_  
 _"Kurt McVeigh," he said,_ _stretching out his hand to greet_ _politely while keeping his eyes_ _on her.  
_  
 _"Diane Lockhart" she said_ _accepting his greeting, without_ _stopping looking at him either...  
  
  
_ "Diane ... Are you listening to me?"  
  
She had to blink several times to come back to reality and meet Will and Kurt’s eyes that were looking at her with curiosity and fun, maybe they had been talking for several seconds and she had not heard them at all... "Yes Will, I'm listening to you, I just started thinking about another case that I have pending... Nothing important..."  
  
Will frowned, of course he did not believe a single one of Diane's excuses. "Well, then you've heard that I'm going to need you tomorrow morning to go to McVeigh's lab to see what I can determine of the shooting and prepare him as a witness... Do you think that's okay?" Will said with a worried air, Diane was not a clueless person.  
  
As much as she wanted to say no, she knew that if she refused, Will would ask her why and she would have no excuse. Will knew that her daughter was arriving in the afternoon and that until then she had an open agenda. "Okay, leave the address to my secretary, Kurt..."  
  
Kurt nodded, although he forced himself to speak again. "You know where I live, it's my parents' house..." Kurt clarified ignoring Will's face upon hearing this, who looked directly at Diane with wide eyes.  
  
Diane opened her eyes wide and nodded several times. "I did not know you had moved there... I'll be there then..." she said hesitantly. Kurt nodded, greeted both partners politely and withdrew closing the office door behind him. Diane leaned back in her chair, sighing and looking at Will, who was looking at her as if he was waiting for an explanation of what had just happened. "Why are you looking at me like that?"  
  
Will opened his eyes wider and looked even more impacted. "Are you really asking me that? How do you know McVeigh?"   
  
"I do not think it's the place or the time to talk about this, Will. Excuse me," she said sharply closing her eyes. She knew he was going to keep insisting, and even more when he saw her strange reaction when Kurt left. "They can see us from the outside."  
  
"Diane, you know you can tell me anything... I would not ask you if I had not seen your eyes while this man was here, I've never seen you so nervous and distracted with anyone..." he was worried and she could feel it, Will was afraid of what Diane could say about Kurt.  
  
She sighed and looked back at her partner. "He was a very important person in my life... Many years ago... Too many for me to have the right to be like this..." and a tear fell from her eyes. She hurried to close her eyes and place her hands over her face before more tears could fall.  
  
Will stood up from the sofa, walked to her side and knelt in front of her chair. "Diane, you're starting to worry me..."  
  
She removed her hands from her eyes to see him, took several deep breaths before answering. "That man... Kurt McVeigh... He was my partner for several years when I was young, 25 years ago..." Diane said in a fragile voice, hoping Will could figure out what she was trying to say.  
  
Will simply frowned, trying not to believe the deduction that had come after Diane's words. "Wait... 25 years..." Will's mind returned to the necessary accounts. "Diane, Kurt is Martha's father?" He said as his eyes widened in amazement.  
  
Diane could only nod before he wrapped her in a hug and just let some tears fall on his shoulder. She was so grateful to be able to count on Will in that moment. 


	3. "Past"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everyone!!
> 
> I think you should know that I gave a friend all the chapters that I have written for her to review, since she studied the language for years and speaks perfectly. 
> 
> So, Celes, if you ever see this, I love you and thank you for helping me!
> 
> I hope that this chapter is much better than the others I have uploaded, from now on they will all be reviewed by my friend so I hope there are no problems. If there are any, do not hesitate to comment, I will be reading your comments as usual.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter and, as I always say, thank you very much for reading!

He did the only thing that he thought it would help at that moment, after that confession that had left him astonished, he hugged her as tight as he could. Will knew that if Diane had not shared this information with him it was because she considered it the biggest secret. The older members of the firm knew Martha from a young age and they loved her, but her father's identity had always been one of the greatest unsolved mysteries and they never got any clues about him. Diane had always been very determined about her decision to not reveal his name simply because she didnʼt think it would be appropriate, she always tried to avoid her colleaguesʼ questions with some jokes or silent looks. Although Will was not like the other partners, he had never wanted to get involved in her private life.   
  
She simply gave herself into his hug and tried not to cry, although some tears fell on Will's shirt. She wasnʼt crying out of sadness or anguish, she had cried because of this for several years, she was crying out of disconsolation. She had never been able to say this out loud, that Kurt was Martha's father and it was something that only Diane knew. She had never trusted anyone enough just to tell them the biggest secret of her life but she chose Will because she knew he would not judge her and she felt a huge relief after being able to get rid of that huge backpack that she had carried on her back for more than 25 years…   
  
"I know you must have a thousand questions to ask me..." Diane whispered into Will's shoulder, breaking the silence in his office. "But not today... I'm going to answer them all, but today I donʼt feel ready to face this..."  
  
Will denied with his head. "Diane, I'm no one to ask for explanations ... You know I'm here for whatever you need, whenever you want to talk ..." Will said kindly, moving away from her and taking her hands. "I just want you to be fine ..."   
  
"I am, really ... It was just that seeing him after so many years without our paths coming together removed some feelings inside me..." she said showing a sad smile.   
  
"If you want to go home to rest, I can take care of your schedule..." Will said, although he already knew the answer Diane would give him.   
  
Diane looked at him and denied. "No, it's okay, I got this but I really appreciate your offer..." She would never let this ruin her working day, they both knew it, but Will asked because he really wanted her to clear up her mind.   
  
Will stared at her for a moment, studying what was beyond the smile on her face, but he ended up nodding surrendered . "Well, if you say you'll be fine, I'll let you keep working but whatever you need I'm in my office Diane..." he said squeezing her hands, that were still on his, a little more. "Thanks for trusting me..."   
  
She stared at him, smiling, before releasing her typical laugh. "Donʼt get too dramatic, William," she said, rolling her eyes with amusement. "Now go, there is a lot of work to do and not much time for love confessions."   
  
"You are an expert on ruining beautiful moments, Mrs. Lockhart," he joked before standing up and walking towards the door.   
  
Diane watched him walking away in silence while she was smiling. She was very lucky to count on Will as a friend. Now she had to clear up her mind to be able to concentrate on work, although it was going to be very difficult because the only thing she could thing about was that the following day she was going to see Kurt and she was terrified of having him around.  
  
  
  
\---------------------------  
  
  
  
 _After the party, Kurt offered to take Diane to her residence. They both had been dancing, having fun and talking all night about their lives, studies and their future. It was there when Diane found out that Kurt was studying ballistics, he had talked about guns and bullets so much that she was astonished, and all this pointed out something that she was not too willing to know about him, but she had to do it if she wanted this to be more than just one night.  
  
Now they both were walking in silence, Diane couldnʼt get out of her head the idea while she was waiting for the right moment to ask the question, although she didnʼt think that moment would come. "  
  
Kurt, are you a Republican?" she asked seriously. She really didnʼt want to make that question because she already knew what the answer could be but she really needed to hear it from him.   
  
He stared at her for a second, as he gave her a smile. "Yes, I am, Diane. I thought you had noticed."   
  
She stopped and looked at him. How could she even be thinking about going out with a Republican? Her parents would kill her, and she could imagine herself letting down a dozen of her ancestors. But there was something in Kurt's eyes that silenced the voice of her family, something that made her forget about absolutely everything just to stay on his lips for a moment.   
  
"You are a democrat and that doesnʼt bother me" he said breaking the silence, he only laughed when he saw her surprised look "You donʼt have to be a genius to discover that you are" he said taking her hands between his. "I like you Diane, not your political ideas" said Kurt trying to clear the thoughts that he knew had already come up in her mind. While he pulled her close to join their lips in what would be their first kiss.   
  
  
  
  
_He couldnʼt help smiling every time he remembered the night he had met her, it was one of the most beautiful memories he treasured in his memory. She was wearing a loose blue dress to the knee that made her blue eyes stand out and her blond hair had hypnotized him as soon as he saw her, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. And, although fate hadnʼt kept them together, it was a very pleasant time from his youth and he had always wanted to do everything to go back in time and try to change some things...   
  
But now he must return to the present. It was Friday morning and she had called to confirm that she would be arriving to his house in half an hour, he didnʼt feel any emotion in her voice, and he was surprised to see that she hadnʼt changed that either, Diane had always been very good at hiding her emotions over the phone.  
  
  
  
  
 _After that night they didnʼt see each other again. Kurt called her every night, they talked about how their days had gone and then they hung up, sometimes she fell asleep during the call and he just hung up when he didnʼt hear an answer. They had been talking for weeks but he felt he had to take the next step, although he was not sure that she would accept, he had to, that woman was driving him crazy.  
  
After talking about the same topics as many other nights, Kurt decided to make a good use of Diane's pause after the monologue about her day and took the next step...   
  
"Would you like to have dinner?"   
  
The only thing he noticed was that he caught her off guard, since it took her a few seconds, maybe a minute, to answer that simple question.   
  
"Yes, that would be fine ."   
  
Kurt couldnʼt notice anything in Diane's voice, her response was too monotonous, she answered with the same serious voice, as if she was confirming an appointment with the dentist and not the first date with a man. At first this disappointed him, he believed that she had only accepted by compromise.   
  
After a short silence, Diane spoke again a little more enthusiastic. "What do you think about tomorrow? I know a nice place, you could pick me up at 8 pm."   
  
"I'll be there at 8 pm," he said, stuttering a bit as he spoke, and then she hung up. Diane sounded like a professional, with elegance and precision, while he was too nervous to express something without getting blocked, grateful that she had hung up without allowing him to talk anymore.  
  
  
  
  
_He was nervous, he had imagined the day in which his life would cross again with hers many times, but, now that it happened, he didnʼt know what to say or what to do, he was afraid of anything she could say, their relationship had not finished in a good way and he knew Diane so much that he thought that maybe she could never get over what had happened between them, even though she could never have blamed him...   
  
Kurt startled, letting his thoughts go away, when he heard a car approaching the house. It had to be her. He took several deep breaths before opening the door with a smile on his face, seeing Diane getting out of the car with her elegant high heels and a beautiful red and tight dress made his heart beat very fast. It was her, after so many years, it was Diane standing at his house door.   
  
"Hi, Kurt," she said with a smile as she reached the door. When she noticed his look she blushed a little, but only someone who knew her as much as he did could notice that.   
  
"Hi, Diane, how's the trip?" Kurt asked inviting her into the house.   
  
She shrugged as she entered the house. "I must admit that I had forgotten the last time I drove to this place..." she admitted as she looked over the place. “But in here everything looks the same..." she said, taking a look at the living room of the house. "Your mother had good taste for decoration."   
  
"She was good at those things..." he said, remembering the good relationship between Diane and his mother, they had been good friends. "Do you want to drink something?" He asked, trying not to create an awkward silence between them.   
  
"No, thanks" she said shaking his head. "Actually I only have a couple of hours, I have to be in town at lunchtime" she clarified looking at the clock on her wrist that marked that it was ten o'clock.   
  
He nodded several times. "Okay, come with me" Kurt said opening the door to leave the house and go to his laboratory.   
  
The rest of the time passed quickly for both of them, Kurt had prepared Mr. Douglas's defense with great accuracy, he had managed to establish that he was innocent and that his presence at the crime scene was impossible. Diane was focused on understanding everything he was explaining so she could explain it to Will when he had to prepare the interrogation. Only a few moments, she let her mind remind her of that young man who only talked about weapons at that party, nothing had changed, only a few years had passed...   
  
"So ... Could you testify this, Kurt?" She asked without looking at him, as she took notes in her notebook.   
  
He looked at her and nodded absently. "Sure, he's innocent ... I wouldnʼt have a problem," Kurt said shrugging his shoulders.   
  
Diane opened widely her eyes with a bit of amusement. "Would that change if he wasnʼt?" She asked joking, though her funny look changed when she saw Kurt's serious eyes.   
  
Kurt nodded firmly several times. "Correct, I donʼt testify in cases where the evidence shows that the defendant is guilty. I will not be responsible for releasing a murderer, "Kurt said sincerely.   
  
Diane's eyes opened wide again, honestly nothing had changed at all. "Very honest of you..." she said while grabbing her purse and looking at the time. "I must go, but I'll let you know when you should go to court."   
  
He took as a good sign that she had suggested it would be her who call him and not Will, then he let himself be carried away by his thoughts. "We should have dinner someday ..." the words escaped from his mouth before he could think clearly, he moved his look from the floor to Dianeʼs eyes, who was looking at him astonished.   
  
She took a moment to give an answer and, when she did, her voice was barely a whisper. "I guess so ... I should think about it ..." clearly she was not sure what she was saying. Have dinner with him again? Without a professional theme in between? _She must be crazy to even believe that it could happen_ , thought. "I'll call you anyways to let you know when you have to go to court" she said in a desperate attempt to change the subject of the conversation.   
  
"Sure, I'll wait for your call," Kurt said kindly. She knew that he had managed to make her nervous, he knew her too much and she still was that insecure young woman he had known so many years ago...   
  
A few minutes later, he saw Diane getting into her car and heading to the city again, he couldnʼt help smiling, he really hoped that she would call him again.


	4. "Chance"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!!
> 
> Sorry for the delay, I am trying to update as soon as possible, but my student life consumes my time completely.
> 
> I just want to thank my beloved Celes for the beta version, she has really been helping me a lot!
> 
> As I always tell you, I hope you enjoy it a lot, and I also look forward to your comments!

Her thoughts wandered somewhere in the past as she drank her second glass of wine sitting in the large sofa she had in the living room of her house. Using her daughter's arrival as an excuse, she left the office early enough to be able to rest for a few hours. She needed to clear her mind, she couldnʼt stop thinking about Kurt's invitation, she didnʼt know what to do. Some thoughts were inclined to yes, while others were inclined to not, why was it so difficult to make a decision? She had tried to forget about the past but it was simply impossible, the betrayal had taken away a piece of her heart that she was never able to fill. Although she couldnʼt understand why her legs still shook every time she saw him, she couldnʼt love him yet, she didnʼt want to love him. It took her many years to think about him without crying, once she had achieved that he shows up again in her life making her feel confused again.  _But perhaps this confusion,_ she thought, these weird feelings that she felt when she saw him,  _were a sign that she should go out with him, what was wrong about seeing him again? Love couldnʼt hurt anyone..._ And then she thought about Martha, could she look at him straight in the eyes without telling him that he was a father?  _Of course not,_ she thought. She couldnʼt go out with him, she had to get away from that man as soon as possible, before he hurt her again, she could never tell him the truth, she had tried more times than she could remember, but she never made it. Besides, would he have wanted to be a father? Her heart wouldnʼt stand it he rejected Martha. The front door of the apartment opened and Diane didnʼt even notice it, she was too lost in her thoughts to notice. After a moment, the door closed and Martha came in with her suitcase into the living room, she frowned when she saw that her mother hadnʼt even noticed she was there.   
  
"I think I expected a warmer welcome," Martha said laughing as she saw her mother startled and turning around to look at her.  
  
"Martha? You almost killed me! "Diane said grabbing her chest while she stood up to hug her daughter. "You could have been noisier while entering" she said laughing.  
  
Martha accepted her mother's hug and spoke again over her shoulder. "I entered as always mom, I think you were a little lost in your thoughts and your glass of wine ..." she said waiting for an explanation. Martha got away and looked at her exasperatingly. "Are you going to tell me what you were thinking about or i have to get it from you by force?"   
  
"Oh! Eh ... Nothing important ... Just a case ... Very complicated, forget it" Diane said trying not to let her daughter notice she was nervous. "How was your trip?" she asked in a desperate attempt to change the subject.  
  
Martha looked her straight in the eye trying to let her know that she didnʼt believe what she had said at all but decided to follow the game. "My trip was great, very pleasant... I really wanted to see you" she said and hugged her mother again.   
  
"I really wanted to see you too honey, I've missed you a lot," she said, hugging her baby tighter as she kissed her blonde hair. "So ..." she said getting away but still holding her hands "Will you stay until Monday?"   
  
"Yes, maybe until Tuesday ... First I have to fit my schedule ... I have a surprise for you ..." Martha said as she let go of her mother's hands "Sit down, I'll be back" when she saw that Diane obeyed her request, she went to the main door. "Stay there and close your eyes" she shouted from the other room.  
  
Diane frowned amusingly and then closed her eyes. "I've already closed them, but if you scare me again I'll be angry."  
  
Martha returned to the room with a huge box. It had a perfectly armed pink bow, and she put it on her mother's lap. "You can open your eyes, mother." Diane opened them and let a moan of surprise out of her mouth when she saw the box in front of her.  
  
"For me?" She asked as she met the eyes of her daughter who nodded enthusiastically.  
  
Diane grabbed the box with both hands smiling. When she opened it she found a beautiful dark pink dress, the skirt was flared with small flowers in different shades of pink, while the top was tight, perfect to highlight the small waist of Diane, its sleeves were long and the neck was wide.   
  
"I designed it for you, I've been preparing it for a while... That's why I took a little longer to come, I wanted to bring it with me when I came to see you..." said Martha, trying to figure out her mother's reaction. "Do you like it?" Her voice was practically a whisper.   
  
"Martha, it's the most beautiful dress I've seen in my entire life... "she said in a low voice before the tears invaded her face. It was the first time that Martha had designed something for her. She turned to her daughter, who was looking at her with the biggest smile. "You have made me the happiest mother in the world..."   
  
"I want you to use it in a special occasion ... Like my graduation ..." and she smiled even more when she saw Diane's eyes widening as her mouth dropped. "I did it well in my last exam mom, I am officially a designer" then she started to cry too while receiving a hug from her mother.   
  
Diane simply hugged Martha. Her little girl had finished her studies, she was finally getting what she had wanted since she was a 5 or 6 year old girl, when she ran around the house with fabrics and drawings, dressing her dolls with designs made by herself and which Diane sewed with pleasure. Now she had a 25-year-old woman ready to face life, and she couldnʼt feel more proud.   
  
"I'm so proud of you, honey ..." Diane said ending the long hug. "When is the ceremony? Do you already have a date? "She asked with great enthusiasm, it was the happiest moment of her life along with the day in which Martha was born.   
  
"In a month and a half probably... Iʼm very happy to share this with you, a few weeks ago I did my last exam ... Sorry for not telling you before, but I wanted to give you the news in person and not over the phone ..." the girl apologized even though she knew that her Mother was too happy to say something about that.   
  
"It doesnʼt matter now, we must celebrate. I think I have a bottle of champagne in the fridge”, she said, standing up from the couch and heading to the kitchen while Martha followed her.   
  
"I hope to see you at my graduation ... You could go with that person who has you so distracted ..." Martha said, with a malicious smile on her lips, and her mother turned to look at her with intrigue.   
  
"Of course I'll go Martha, although I do not know what person you're talking about ..." she said innocently as she turned to the refrigerator to take out the bottle.   
  
"You canʼt hide anything from me, Mom ... Something happens to you ..." and before Diane could interrupt her, she continued "But let's talk about that..."   
  
Diane simply accepted the defeat, although she didnʼt say anything about it. She took out two glasses, serve champagne into them and hand one to Martha. "To your happiness, daughter, I am very happy for you" and they toasted while looking at each other with tears in their eyes.   
  
  
\----------------------  
  
  
The next day, in the morning, Diane woke up, startled from her perfect dream, when she heard the alarm of her phone getting louder, her eyes were still asleep, she managed to read Will's name on the screen and then decided to take the call since Will wouldnʼt be calling on a Saturday morning if it wasnʼt a life or death situation.   
  
"What?" She said reluctantly as she answered the phone and putting her head back into her pillow.   
  
"Diane, I need you in court in two hours. You know I would not ask you if it wasnʼt important, but Alicia got sick and she canʼt get out of bed. "Will's voice sounded like begging, as if he had run out of options before calling Diane.   
  
"In court?" She said trying to figure out what Will was saying. "What time did you say you needed me?" she asked after a moment of silence and refusing to get out of bed.   
  
"At 9 o'clock."   
  
"And what time is it?"   
  
"7 am Diane, get up now" and hung up before She could even confirm that she would go. Diane looked at her phone pissed, she would make him pay for this.   
  
As she had no other choice, a few minutes later, she got up from bed with a reluctant, really wanted to sleep that morning. But that was how her work was like, when there was an emergency she had to go. Luckily she had read several files about the case that Will gave her just to be prepared for an emergency like this.   
  
When she left her room an hour later, already dressed up and make up on, she went down the stairs and found Martha having breakfast. Her daughter was also dressed to go out.   
  
"What are you doing up so early?" Diana asked as she watched her daughter taking a sip of her coffee as she looked up to see her.   
  
"Good morning, mother ... I'm going out ... With you ... To the court" Martha raised with amusement. "I heard your conversation with Will, I woke up with that call" she explained when she saw Dianeʼs face who didnʼt understand.   
  
"And I must accept that you will come with me?" Diane said as she poured herself a cup of coffee that her daughter had prepared.   
  
"Yes, you should accept it because I prepared your coffee ..." explaining funnily. "I have not seen doing your work for years and I really want to do it" she said begging. "And I miss Uncle Will..."   
  
Her last words made Diane laugh. Will and Martha had a beautiful relationship, he had taken the time to fulfill all of her whims and give her all the love that her real uncles had not given her, since Diane had no brothers.   
  
After pretending she was thinking about it for a moment, Diane agreed to take her daughter to court with her, anyways she couldnʼt have refused because Martha was very insistent. On their way to court, Martha talked about the those many times when she had gone to court to see her mother working, she had always been amazed by her work, how committed she was and, above all, how she managed to discredit a witness with some simple questions...   
  
When they arrived at court, Will groaned with surprise after seeing Martha there and hugged her as tight as he could.   
  
"You're pretty much older, Martha, you've grown up a lot since the last time I saw you..." Will said holding on to Martha.   
  
"We both became older, William..." Diane snapped, smiling at the beautiful scene she was seeing.   
  
"Thatʼs what I was afraid of, I even sound like an old proud uncle now" Will said laughing and letting go of Martha.  
  
  
\-----------------------  
  
  
The session remained in order, Diane questioned the witness with the same firmness as always and Will questioned his in the same way. They were an excellent team together, they could interrogate and discredit any witness that was put in front on them.   
  
After a couple of hours, the session finished until the following Monday. Martha went out in talking on her phone, and the two partners left talking about the next steps in the trial. When Will got distracted for a second by the prosecutor to talk about the case, Diane was interrupted by a familiar voice...   
  
“¿Diane?”   
  
Diane turned around when she heard that very familiar voice, she stared at him and the panic took over again as it did every time she saw him.   
  
"Kurt, what are you doing here?" She said as she accepted the man's friendly greeting.   
  
"Testifying in a case ... Are you also working?" Kurt said, without hiding his happiness when he saw her again so soon.   
  
"Eh ... Yes, helping Will ... In one case ..." she hated herself for stuttering so much when she talked. Her eyes were watching how Martha was approaching them.   
  
Before Kurt could say something, Martha showed up beside him trying to talk to her mother, but she stopped and took a look at Kurt, who was amazed and staring at her.   
  
"You must be Martha ..." Kurt finally said when he saw the young woman of about twenty years old standing next to Diane, amazed by how similar the young woman was to her mother. "I'm Kurt, I worked with your mom," he explained, extending his hand to greet Martha.   
  
"Martha Lockhart" the girl simply said, while accepting his greeting with kindness.   
  
Diane felt dizzy when she saw that scene in front of her eyes. She had to grab the door frame to keep her from falling. She could not believe what her eyes were seeing. Life could not be playing her like that. Father and daughter. Together. That was impossible.


	5. "I'm fine"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello girls! How have you been??
> 
> Sorry for the delay, my exams are close and I have not had time to upload this here. My friend Celes who makes the beta version of my chapters has also been busy.
> 
> But do not worry because I'm going to finish this, I have more than 30 chapters written and I'm only a couple of chapters from the end.
> 
> I hope our schedules clear a little and I can upload chapters more often!
> 
> Enjoy the chapter and do not forget to let me know what you think!

"Diane? Are you okay?"  
  
It took her only a few seconds to raise her look up to Kurt and then to Martha who were looking at her worriedly. Who knows how long her eyes were completely lost, she was totally dizzy, but she could understand why they were looking at her like that. She had put one hand to her chest and with the other one she had clung to the door frame as if her life depended on it. What had happened to her? She felt that her blood pressure had gradually decreased, her legs had turned into jelly and she was having trouble to breathe normally. She had seen them having a little talk before noticing that she was no longer with them, although that had been enough to trigger her nerves and anguish to the clouds. _Why was she so afraid?_ She thought, _none of them knows the truth_. They wonʼt know it, said a voice in her mind that she managed to put away. She was sure that not having enough sleep was the cause of her decompensation, or at least she would blame it when they asked. She had never fainted in her life but today, for the first time, she felt that she was about to do it, _at least it would have been an easy way out_ , said that voice in her mind again.  
  
"Mom? Iʼm starting to get worried..."  
  
Those words echoed in Diane's mind forcing her out of the cloud of thoughts that were overwhelming her, her eyes locked on her daughter's concerned gaze. She could not be doing this in front of her, so she forced herself to stand up straight and pull her hand away from her own chest.  
  
"Excuse me... my blood pressure must have lowered... I'm fine, I didnʼt sleep much last night..." she said as surely as she could, although her voice was much lower than it was normally. At that time she was grateful to be a lawyer, she was good at acting... And, although it was true that she had been awake celebrating with Martha her graduation, she could deal with a few hours of sleep. What she couldnʼt deal was the scene she was witnessing.  
  
Kurt nodded, although he was not quite convinced of Diane's words. "You'd better leave... You should eat something before resting, Diane..." Kurt's voice sounded even more worried than Martha's.  
  
"You only had coffee at breakfast Mom... How do you expect to be okay with just that?" Martha said scolding her mother.  
  
"Apart from sleeping a little ... Your body can not work well if you do not recover energy day after day Diane" Kurt said, also scolding Diane.  
  
Diane's eyes kept wide open as she watched both of them scolding her for not taking care of herself as she should. _Was something else missing?_ She thought. And then she could not help remembering the first date she had with Kurt.  
  
  
  
_They were sitting at a table for two in an elegant restaurant, but above all romantic. The weather was ideal for a date, there were candles everywhere and music that set the place. They were both nervous, anyone who saw them could notice that, but they would never admit it. Diane was too proud to show any feelings, and Kurt was simply short-tempered although at that moment the sweat on his hands showed much more than just words._  
  
_They talked about their lives, their families and their future professions, Kurt was really fascinated with Diane, he had never met a woman with her goals so marked, she knew exactly what she wanted for her life and she wasnʼt going to stop until she got it: she wanted to be a successful lawyer, owner of her own firm and recognized in Chicago. On the other hand, he was much simpler, he wanted to finish his studies and be able to work as a ballistics expert, maybe in the future have his own laboratory, but he didnʼt think too much about that._  
  
_"We are really very different..." Diane said when the food they had both ordered finally arrived._  
  
_"They say that opposites attract, don't they?" He said, a smile on his face as he raised his glass to toast._  
  
_She nodded, totally sure of what Kurt was saying. "To our future," she said as she clasped her wine glass against his._  
  
_"To our future" he repeated without stopping looking at her right into the eyes._  
  
_The rest of the evening continued well, Kurt could see how Diane had barely touched her food. She was thin, not enough to alert anyone, but she had a pretty small waist._  
  
_"You did not touch your food ..." Kurt said with a frown, he was really worried that she didnʼt eat._  
  
_"I'm not hungry... Final exams time..." she replied with a shrug. "Luckily allowed myself to come here with you... I usually lock myself up to study all day," she said as she drank a long drink from her glass._  
  
_"That's not right, Diane, you should feed yourself" he sounded so worried about her that he made Diane smile. She had never seen a man who cared about her before, usually they were more focused on their studies than on the relationship._  
  
  
  
"Donʼt get too worried... I'm really fine, I have to go to the office for some papers to-"  
  
"No mom" Martha interrupted her, denying with her head several times. "I'll tell Will to take the papers you need in the afternoon. We will go home and you will rest, you donʼt feel good" she sounded very firm in what she said, Diane smiled at her daughter.  
  
"I'm really fine, honey... But it's useless to argue with you, you're too stubborn..."  
  
Martha ignored her mother's comment, instead she turned around to Kurt to hold his hand. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. McVeigh."  
  
"The pleasure is mine Martha, just call me Kurt," he said, smiling, accepting Martha's greeting. Then he turned to Diane. "Take care, Diane," he said and walked down the hall.  
  
Diane stared at the man until he turned in the hallway and lost sight of him, then her gaze went to Martha, who was frowning at her.  
  
"Donʼt you have any comments to make, mother?"  
  
Diane shook her head, smiled at her daughter and started walking down the hall leaving Martha behind, who was looking at her a little in shock after what had happened.  
  
  
  
\----------------------------  
  
  
  
In the afternoon, Martha had called Will to bring the papers her mother needed, because she thought Diane should stay the rest of the day in bed. She really needed to rest, the events of that day had left her thinking about the decisions she had made many years ago, she couldnʼt do anything to change it, but she couldnʼt stop wondering if they had been good decisions.  
  
"I canʼt believe she made you come here," Diane said, opening the front door of her house.  
  
"Martha sounded really worried on the phone," Will said with a shrug.  
  
Diane stepped aside, inviting her partner to come inside. She was barefoot and her hair was slightly disheveled, she was wearing one of her comfortable yoga pants and a black big sweater.  
  
"My daughter is quite stubborn ..." Diane protested as she closed the door. "I'm fine Will, I only have a little low blood pressure, but that's all ..." Diane said sitting on the couch in her living room and inviting him to sit next to her. "You shouldnʼt have come, I could have gone to look for them myself" she clarified when she saw the folders in Will's hands.  
  
"You almost fainted in court, Diane. Martha asked me to come because she is worried about you” he said as he sat next to her on the couch and left the folders on the small table in front of him. "Are you going to explain to me what's going on? You're not the kind of woman who faints in court... Not anywhere... "Will's voice sounded really worried.  
  
"I do not know..." she said moving her eyes from Will's eyes, who was looking at her confused, to somewhere on the floor. "Kurt and Martha met in court today..."  
  
Will's eyes widened and suddenly Diane's decompensation was understood. "How do you feel about that?"  
  
"Weird. I really donʼt know... I think the situation overtook me, seeing them talking... I never imagined that this would ever happen...”  
  
"You never thought about telling Martha her father's identity?"  
  
"No... For what? Since she was a little girl I said that she didnʼt have a father and that was fine. When she grew up she always respected my position of not wanting her to know... It's too painful... "  
  
"And Kurt?" This time his question sounded scary, as if he was scared of asking it.  
  
Diane sighed and looked into his eyes. "I need several drinks to talk about that."  
  
"Donʼt you think it's too early to get drunk?" Will asked amused, as he looked at the watch on his wrist.  
  
"Did the schedule ever stop us from getting drunk?"  
  
"Well, you have a point," Will said as he leaned back in his side on the couch. "I'll take a drink."  
  
"I knew you would not leave me alone with this," she said, smiling, as she got up from her chair to look for two glasses and fill them with an abundant measure of whiskey. Then she sat back in his place and offered Will a glass, he accepted it without stopping looking at her.  
  
"So... You can tell me whatever you want Diane, I'm not here to pressure you or judge you... Let this be your release..." kindly, Will was offering Diane a way out, but she really wanted to answer his question.  
  
"Thank you, Will, but I really want to do this." She took a large sip of her drink and her voice was barely a whisper as she continued. "Kurt threw me out of his life too many years ago ... Well, I didnʼt want to stay either, his betrayal was very painful and I could not even look at him in the eyes anymore. He told me he did not want to see me again and I did not intervene..."  
  
"This was before you found out you were pregnant?"  
  
"No... It was when I went to tell him I was pregnant" Diane had to make an effort not to cry, instead she clung more to her drink. "I found him in a situation that should not have happened, we argued and I left... I never saw him again"  
  
"It must have been something really terrible for you to not see each other again ..." Will added, putting his free hand on Diane's shoulder, he wanted her to feel supported.  
  
"It was... He called me several times a day for a few weeks, I never answered... I know he tried to find me, but I just disappeared to do what he had asked me, or what he wanted me to do... It was very painful, when I thought that finally I could have overcome it, Martha was born and I felt so alone, I wanted to be able to share it with him... "  
  
"And why did not you call him...?" The second he asked the question he regretted. Diane's gaze changed, and when she tried to answer his question, her voice was firmer.  
  
"Let's just say that he moved on with his life, I wouldnʼt have been able to bear that he despised Martha..."  
  
"You loved him, right?"  
  
"Too much..." and a tear finally rolled down Diane's cheek. "But I found out that I loved my daughter even more, so I convinced myself that I would forget it...”  
  
"And you did?"  
  
Diane turned her head towards him and shrugged. She had managed to forget it? She had come to believe that she did, but then he showed up again in her life and now she wasnʼt so sure that she had forgotten it.  
  
When she finally was ready to answer Will's question, the front door opened and they both looked at the sound. It was Martha with many bags in her hands and her purse hanging on her left arm.  
  
She closed the door, left her bags in the doorway along with her wallet and keys, and approached the living room when she saw Will's coat on the front rack.  
  
"Good afternoon to you two! Are you getting drunk this early ? "She said amused until she saw Diane's eyes, which were red and sad, and her smile completely change. "Mom, what's wrong? Did I miss something?"  
  
Diane simply looked at Will and sighed. She was so tired and this was just the beginning.


	6. "Lies"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm here again!
> 
> First of all, I want to leave my Twitter account, there I am always alerting when there is a new chapter: @ life_queens1  
> I'm also sharing content about Christine and the other actresses that I admire.
> 
> I'm glad I did not make you wait so long for this chapter, although I know you're going to wait anxiously for the next ... You'll tell me when you read this chapter.
> 
> Thank you very much for all your beautiful comments, they really make me very happy!

"It's just a case..." Will answered quickly. "I was telling your mother about a new case in which we are starting to work in... Very sad and painful... Donʼt worry Martha, nothing happens to your mother, she just got emotional..."  
  
Diane looked at Will as he explained to Martha about the supposed case he had invented at the time, she had never felt so grateful that Will would cover her in that way and lie for her. This had happened before of course, there had been many meetings with the partners in which one of the them had to cover the other. But this time it was different, she didnʼt think that Martha would arrive to the apartment so soon, she would never have spoken about that subject if only she had suspected that Martha could listen.  
  
"Ah... It's okay..." Martha said hesitantly, though she seemed to have believed the story of the case Will had invented. Her gaze moved from Will to her mother and she looked at her with a frown. "Do you feel better, Mom?"  
  
Diane's body clearly relaxed a little when she could change the subject. "Honey, I told you a million times that I'm fine. There's no reason why you should be so worried."  
  
"Although it is not very normal for you to faint in court..." Will said looking at Diane with amused eyes. He knew that she would be upset by this.  
  
Diane turned her head to Will and she shot at him a withering look. Will was already starting to charge the favor he had done to Diane by lying to Martha, he wanted to annoy her so that her daughter would not be allowed to leave her alone with what happened in court. Will could read Diane's eyes, she was hating him, and he could only smile satisfactorily.  
  
"Maybe you should lay down again..." Martha said softly, even though she knew her mother would complain.  
  
Diane shook her head several times. "No, stop sending me to rest!" Diane complained provoking a simultaneous laugh between Will and Martha. "I'm serious. We have reservations to go to dinner tonight and I donʼt intend to lose them by staying in bed, apart from that I did not faint, donʼt overreact! "  
  
Martha nodded several times and took a moment to think what she was going to say. "Well, do not lie down, mother... But weʼll go to dinner only if Uncle Will comes with us..." and their eyes turned to Will.  
  
Will could barely hide how much fun he was having because of that situation. "Are you telling me that if I do not agree to go and have dinner, your mother will spend the day in bed?" He said with amusement as Martha nodded equally amused. "I think I can not go, something extremely urgent has come up at this precise moment..."  
  
"William!" Diane yelled with false outrage as she gently pushed his shoulder.  
  
"It's okay, it's fine ... If you insist, I'll go," Will said between laughs. "You know I like bothering you."  
  
  
\----------------------------  
  
  
The night was really pleasant, among anecdotes and laughter the three of them had dinner in a restaurant that Diane and Will used to go. It was elegant and simple, the food was delicious and the drinks fantastic, although the two of them, in their usual visits to the place, used to go more often to the bar for drinks rather than to the dinner tables area  
  
The conversation went from the law firm, Martha's graduation to the romantic life of the three of them. Will had already shown over the years that he was always alone but at the same time accompanied, and this was always a reason for Diane to make fun of him. Martha had commented that she was dating someone although it was not serious at all, so she still didnʼt reveal the name of the young man nor had presented him to her mother. When Dianeʼs time came, she simply shrugged her shoulders, flatly denying, honestly it had been too long since she had had something serious with someone but it did not bother her at all, she was very happy with her singleness and freedom, it was just hard to find a man capable of supporting the life rhythm that Diane carried.  
  
After dinner, Will accompanied both women to their house and said goodbye with a hug. Martha made Will promise to go to her graduation and he obviously promised that he would try to be there, since it would be a bit chaotic if both partners were missing at the firm for a whole weekend. The hug between them was longer, since Will would not know when he would see the young woman again. Instead, greeting Diane was just a simple hug and a "see you on Monday" and then return to his car.  
  
"It was a beautiful night, wasnʼt it?" Diane said, taking off her high heels, as they both sat on the couch in the living room.  
  
"Yes, I really missed Will... You two are getting closer..." Martha said with a smile on her lips.  
  
Diane looked at her daughter and shrugged, though she didnʼt stop smiling. "It's true... It's the brother I have never had..." Diane reflected. Certainly Will had always behaved as a good friend, and even more now that she needed him like she had never needed him before...  
  
After a few minutes of silence, Martha turned to look her mother into the eyes. "I think I caught lying you today, dear mother"  
  
Diane's pulse shot up and she twisted in the same way so she could see her daughter's expression. _She hadnʼt believed what Will told her in the afternoon, and now that they were alone she would interrogated her until she found out what they were really talking about,_ Diane thought and when she spoke again, her voice was barely a whisper. "About what I'm supposed to have lied to you?"  
  
"The man I met in court today ... Kurt right?" Diane nodded involuntarily, making an effort to donʼt show her daughter she was very nervous over that situation. "What happened between you two?"  
  
Diane's eyes widened and her body relaxed as she let out a nervous laugh. "Between us? Absolutely nothing. As I told you in court, I worked with him on a case... Where did you get that there might be something between us? "Diane asked with curiosity. _Was it that obvious?_ She thought to herself.  
  
Martha smiled and shook her head several times. "Oh mother ... Do you really think I didnʼt realize you almost fainted because of that man's presence? Something happens between you two... Or it happened... I donʼt know... But you wonʼt fool me, lawyer Lockhart, I know you too well and that man wasnʼt just a acquaintance".  
  
"Well... Em... It could be... Many years ago..." Diane replied humbly while she couldnʼt help laughing when she saw Martha's surprised expression.  
  
Martha's eyes widened as she turned her entire body, without leaving her place on the couch, to see her mother. "You've never introduced me to one of your boyfriends mom!" She said pushing her mother gently in rebuke mode.  
  
Diane laughed nervously and shook her head several times. "In the first place, I never said it was my boyfriend... And secondly, you didnʼt even exist, honey... It was long before you were born" she explained with a forced smile. How would she explain who Kurt was without telling her the truth? She couldnʼt do this now, she didnʼt feel capable of inventing more lies at that moment. "But it's a long story, and I think we should both go to sleep so we can be refreshed for the Sunday we've scheduled," Diane said quickly as she got up from the chair, she picked up her heels off the floor and headed to the stairs.  
  
Martha looked at her and tried to stop her mother. "But mom-"  
  
"Good evening, honey," Diane said evenly, interrupting her daughter's reproach.  
  
"Mom! Wait a minute! Arenʼt you going to tell me anything else? " Martha said also moving from her place in the chair to follow her. Diane shook her head and started up the stairs to her room. "But at least tell me you met again!"  
  
Diane turned to her and rolled her eyes. "You're really too stubborn... Fine! I'll just tell you that he invited me to have dinner next week. "  
  
Martha cried out of happiness and began to applaud. "That's a date! You must look sensational, tomorrow we will go shopping and I will make you buy a beautiful dress to wear that night apart from beautiful high heels that match with the dress..."  
  
"Good evening, Martha," Diane said in a funny tone. Leaving Martha protesting at the stairs, she closed the door of her room and laughed like a child. Her daughter was really crazy, but she loved her so much and she had so much fun with her madness.  
  
  
\----------------------------------  
  
  
On Wednesday morning, Kurt was walking from one side pf the kitchen to the other while he finished his coffee. He had thought of calling Diane to set a date for dinner, but he did not know why he was so nervous and hesitant. He had seen her on Saturday with her daughter and she had practically decompensated because of his presence, although she was very good at pretending and inventing excuses, he knew her too well from the past and she had not changed at all. Probably she had never told her daughter about him and he didnʼt blame her, things between them had not ended well enough to go tell everyone about the time they were together. He thought about calling her on Monday, but he had seen her only on Saturday and he didnʼt want to sound desperate. On Tuesday he spent the day trying to figure out what to say when he called her, but he couldnʼt get anywhere.  
  
He grabbed his phone, looked for his number, pressed the "call" button and put the cell phone in his ear while putting his empty coffee cup in the dishwasher. A few seconds passed until she answered.  
  
"Hello?" Diane's voice sounded firm and attentive, _sure she was already in her office,_ Kurt thought.  
  
"Hello Diane, I'm Kurt..." Kurt answered timidly.  
  
"Yes, I've noticed, I have your number saved on my phone..." Diane replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"Ah... Sure..." Kurt said practically whispering. There was silence for a few seconds before he cleared his voice to speak again. "I was calling you to set up a date to go have dinner... I mean... If it's still standing..." He wanted to make it clear that he was not pressuring her to go out with him, he was giving her a way out in case she had regretted.  
  
Diane made a little silence but spoke again in the same firm tone she had been doing. "Right... Of course it's still standing... Just tell me one day and I'll try to accommodate my schedules."  
  
Kurt thought for a few seconds. "Do you think it would be okay on Friday?" He asked cautiously.  
  
"Mmm..." Diane murmured. He could hear the noise of Diane's diary pages as she passed them, she was checking to see if she could. "Yes, Friday seems perfect to me... Even though I'm going to be late from the office, we are with a little complicated class action lawsuit and I do not think I can escape early any day this week..." she explained simply.  
  
Kurt nodded to himself. "I can pick you up at your office at 7:30 p.m. ... If that's okay..."  
  
"Sure ... You would save me from having to go to my house ..." she mentioned as if she was thinking out loud. "I'll wait for you at 7:30 p.m."  
  
"I will be there," he confirmed and hung up the call.  
  
A smile settled on his face. He would have dinner with Diane next Friday, after all these years, and he couldnʼt be happier with that. Kurt really hoped that night would be special for both of them.


	7. "Love"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, beautiful, here I am again with another chapter! I know you should be eager to read this so I'm not going to talk too much.
> 
> I just hope you enjoy the chapter and I will be reading your comments as always!

The rest of the week had been very busy but it had gone quickly. Martha had returned to New York on Tuesday morning and Diane took her to the airport. They said goodbye with a long and loving hug, she promised her mother that she would come back in three weeks and she hoped she had the date of her graduation by then. Diane spent he rest of the days in her office working on her pending cases, she had relaxed all weekend with her daughter and now she had many things to do.  
  
Although she had not been able to stop thinking about his date with Kurt since Wednesday. Was it OK seeing him again after 25 years? Could she look him in the eye without telling him the truth? Had she forgiven him? All those questions were wandering in Diane's mind, especially the last one. Diane was a spiteful person, but it had been too many years to hold the grudge against him, she knew he was sorry, he had tried to locate her for almost a year after they broke up but she wasnʼt sure she wanted to see him again. But it was different now, too many years had passed before she could go on with her indifferent attitude, she had to face the situation and act like the adult she was. If she had to be honest, she had missed him so much in those years, although she would never admit it to anyone. She had had other couples, but she could not fall in love again, it was only good sex but no love or attachment.  
  
It was already 6 pm when she heard that they were knocking on her door office, Diane raised her head from the report she was reading and found Will, who was looking at her with a funny expression.  
  
"Working late?"  
  
"Yes, kind of..." Diane replied, as she removed her glasses and threw them up on the reports. "Are you leaving?"  
  
"Yes, I'm done with my agenda today... But I can stay a moment..." Will answered looking at the clock in his left arm.  
  
Diane shook her head. "You donʼt t have to stay, I'll go out to have dinner with Kurt..."   
  
Will's eyes widened and a smile showed up on his face. "And how do you feel about that?" As he walked slowly into her office.  
  
"I donʼt t know..." she said with a shrug. "If I think about it too much I'll end up calling to cancel, and I do not want to do that... So I try not to think..."  
  
"And that's why you're dealing with the Walsh case now when you could do that next week?" He said, leaning down to see the report Diane had in front of her on her desk.  
  
Diane nodded slowly, a little flushed with embarrassment. "Yes, maybe... Even though you know I like to anticipate the facts..."  
  
"But this is not the case..." and she sat down in one of the armchairs in front of her, placing his elbows on his knees and looking into her eyes. "You're scared to death Diane..."  
  
Diane's eyes widened and then closed as she leaned back in her chair, remained silent for a moment and when she spoke again, her voice was barely a whisper. "Perhaps…"  
  
"You do not have to be afraid ... You're doing what you want, and if you want to reunite with him, there's nothing wrong with that."   
  
"What if I canʼt look him into the eyes without telling him the truth?"  
  
"You do not know if it's like that... Go and see for yourself... I know you'll know what you have to do when the time comes..."   
  
Diane smiled and opened her eyes to give her partner a tender look. "You always know what to say Will... Thank you."  
  
"Nothing is free in this life, Mrs. Lockhart. I'll find a way to charge you for my advice ... "he said, standing up to approach her and open his arms. Diane stood up from her chair laughing and clung to the embrace that Will was offering to her. "I promise you that everything will be fine ... And, if not, I will be here to help you."  
  
"I know... You're a great friend Will..." she said without looking at him, her head resting on his shoulder, it really was, Will was more than her friend, he was a brother to her.  
  
  
\-------------------------------  
  
  
It was 7:25 p.m. when Kurt exited the elevator and started walking through the lonely corridors of Lockhart-Gardner to Diane's office. When he arrived at her office he saw Diane sitting at her desk reading some papers, he could not help smiling when he remembered when they were young and he was going to pick her up at her university residence, he always found her wrapped up in abstracts and books.  
  
Kurt tapped lightly on the door frame, although both doors were open. Diane raised her head and smiled. _God, he loved that smile so much_ , he thought, though he was frightened by his own thought and tried to push it away from his mind.  
  
"Hey ... are you ready?"  
  
"Hey ... Yeah, just give me a second I finish my makeup ..." Diane said and stood up from her seat to go to the small bathroom in her office. She put some lipstick and adjusted her hair, when she saw herself in the mirror she sighed. _Here we go again…_  
  
"You look beautiful ..." Kurt said when he saw her come back to the office and look for her purse. She was weather a black longsleeved dress, the length was above the knee and managed to highlight her silhouette perfectly, on her feet she was wearing high heels with gold details that combined with her accessories and her purse.  
  
She couldnʼt help blushing after his comment, so many years and that man still had that effect on her. "Thanks Kurt ... Shall we go?"   
  
"Yes, come on," he said offering his arm to walk to the elevator.  
  
  
\------------------------------  
  
  
The trip to the restaurant was quite calm. They talked about their lives, their jobs, their homes and their families. Kurt asked about Martha and Diane had to make an effort not to show the concern that caused her talk to him about her daughter, she simply told him about her studies and how proud she was of her independence.  
  
"She looks a lot like you ..."  
  
Diane shrugged when she heard that. It was not the first time they told her that her daughter was similar to her, but she could not help thinking about the things of Martha‘s personality that were similar to Kurt...   
  
In the restaurant the conversation continued about the present, it was as if both wanted to avoid talking about the past. Their conversations roamed through politics, and they were surprised to discover that they were about to end up arguing as they had done so many times, they had not changed at all. At one point, Diane was talking about how she had become a senior partner at Lockhart-Gardner and Kurt could not help but smile openly, if they closed their eyes, the years had not passed at all. Of course they did and they were no longer, physically, those young people of almost 30 years ago.  
  
When they brought the drinks, a glass of wine for Diana and a beer for Kurt, that had not changed with the passage of time, Diane was the first to talk about the past.  
  
"Did you marry Sarah?"   
  
The question that Diane wanted to sound natural to Kurt caught him off guard, so much that he nearly choked on his beer. He stared at her eyes for a second before answering. "No, I didnʼt marry Sarah ..." He took a moment to observe her reaction before continuing. "Do you want to talk about that?"  
  
"I do not know..." Diane whispered, lowering her gaze to her wine glass. "I think that we said everything we had to say... I just thought that your thing with Sarah was going to go further..."  
  
"No... I never really said everything I had to say... You did not let me..." then Diane turned to look into his eyes with curiosity. "What happened with Sarah was not long term... It was just a matter of time... A mistake... When you left my house that night, I could not think of anyone else other than you, Diane..."  
  
Diane blushed and hated herself for doing it. She had always imagined that Kurt and Sarah had ended up together, married and with children. Maybe it was the only thing that helped her to feel a little better, she thought that if the two of them loved each other, leaving Kurt had not been a mistake despite the cheating.   
  
"And you Diane?" She widened her eyes. "Have you married?" And she understood that he was offering her a way out so she would not have to continue talking about it.  
  
"No... Since... You... I have not been in a serious relationship" Kurt nodded silently and before Diane could continue talking, the waiter appeared with their food.  
  
"Excuse me, tell me if I'm meddling too much ... But what about Martha's father?"   
  
Diane had to force herself to stand firm, showing no emotion at Kurt's sudden question. "No... Do not worry..." she said and took a long drink from her glass. "Let's just say that he is not present... Martha just had me... There's not much more to say..."  
  
"I understand ..." Kurt said nodding. "Are you okay with that?"  
  
"Yes ... I mean, it happened too many years ago ... You could say I've already got over it ..." she said absently looking at her glass.  
  
After a moment, Kurt broke the silence. "I would have liked to have children..."  
  
Diane looked up and focused on his, widening her eyes. "I think I understand... Martha is the most important thing in my life... I can not imagine my life without her...", she said this and then regretted it. Why had she said it? It was more than obvious that she loved her daughter and that she did not have to stress with Kurt. She just felt she had to make it clear. "Why have not you had kids, Kurt?"   
  
He shrugged. "I did not find the woman I wanted to have children with..." she said this and looked up to meet Diane's curious gaze. "You were the only woman I wanted to have them with..."  
  
  
\--------------------------------  
  
  
The rest of the evening went smoothly. When it was time to leave, Kurt offered to take Diane home and she hesitated for a moment but then accepted, he was glad even though he wasnʼt ready to say goodbye to her yet.  
  
On the way to Diane's apartment they both remained silent, anyone who had seen them would think they were focused on what the next step was. Of course, Kurt would take her to her apartment to prolong the moment of farewell, but what was going to happen after that? Diane had discovered that night that in front of him she could not control her emotions...  
  
They arrived Diane's apartment, Kurt turned off the engine of the truck, but neither of them moved for several minutes. It was Diane who, after that moment, turned her head towards him.  
  
"It feels weird , isnʼt it?"   
  
Kurt looked at her with a frown. "What?"   
  
"Being here ... Not knowing what to do ..." she frowned at Kurt's amused expression. "Does it happen to just me?"  
  
"No... Sorry, you have not changed anything... You still overthink simple things..."   
  
"And what's so simple about that?" She asked with some annoyance, since she did not understand the point of what he had said.  
  
Then Kurt kissed her. It was a simple kiss that took Diane by surprise, but then she relaxed by placing her hands on either side of Kurt's face. It was a simple kiss, but full of love, that love that they had kept inside of them for 25 years and that they believed was no longer there.  
  
They separated only when they felt they were out of breath, but they did it with small short kisses and looking into each other's eyes.  
  
"Do you want to go in?" Diane said in a whisper, trying to catch her breath.  
  
"I thought you would never ask..." Kurt responded with a broad smile.  
  
They entered Diane's apartment holding hands, he closed the front door and gave a general look at the place. Wherever he looked, he found Diane's touch, everything was so according to her taste.  
  
She left her coat, her purse and turned to look at him. Kurt could see in her eyes the fear she had, so he simply made the first step once again and kissed her. But this kiss was not like the previous one, it was full of passion, of lust. It was as if their lips could not hold on to each other's lips.  
  
Diane slowly cut the kiss, put a hand on his cheek and gave him a gentle caress, then smiled, grabbed his hand and led him to the stairs to her room.  
  
They entered Diane's room between kisses, Diane took off her heels without using her hands and then started to take off Kurt's shirt.   
  
"Wait, Diane... Are you sure about this?" Kurt said in a moment after he pulled his lips away looking for air.  
  
"Yes... I do not know... Right now I want to be with you Kurt... Tomorrow I do not know what I'll want."  
  
Kurt began kissing her again, slowly but passionately, there was no need to hurry, they had all night to be together. Little by little she was unzipping her dress, once it was low, Diane took off her sleeves and Kurt slowly pulled her hips down. It took a few seconds to see Diane's body, although it had been many years and her body had aged, he found her more attractive than ever.  
  
Diane, noticing Kurt's gaze on her body, blushed immediately, trying to cover her body with her hands. "Please... Do not look at me like that..."   
  
Kurt shook his head several times and closed the small distance between them by taking Diane by the waist. "You are beautiful Diane... You donʼt have to hide."  
  
He kissed her slowly again on the lips, then went down to her neck and left a small tender kisses on the way. While she managed to remove the shirt and threw it aside.  
  
"Yes... Kurt... That feels wonderful," Diane said brokenly, feeling that Kurt's kisses were getting closer to her breasts.  
  
He was slowly taking Diane to her double bed, and he was lowering the kisses down her chest and clinging to her nipples. Diane could not help but moan when she felt his lips on her right nipple, it was so delicate and so exciting at the same time, she had forgotten what that man could produce in her body. Kurt put two fingers inside Diane's panties and began to massage slowly, she just moaned louder and shuddered with the movements of his fingers.  
  
"Kurt ... I want you," Diane said moaning from the pleasure her body felt.  
  
Kurt got rid of his pants and his boxer, Diane took off her panties quickly to be part of the decor of the room. A few seconds later, Kurt had already joined her and their bodies were one. Their bodies were two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly, and that was something that over the years hadnʼt changed.   
  
"You're beautiful Diane..." he said moaning.  
  
In calmer circumstances, this would make Diane blush, but at that moment it made her moan louder. They were loving each other for the first time in so many years, but they were not strangers. They both knew what to do to give more pleasure to the other, they dedicated themselves to feel, to enjoy themselves, without thinking about what will happen next, they already had time for that, now they just wanted that moment to be eternal.  
  
After several minutes, both had managed to reach the maximum point of pleasure and now they were lying down trying to recover the air. His legs were intertwined, Diane had placed her cheek on Kurt's chest, feeling the throbbing beats of his heart, and a hand on his shoulder. Kurt had wrapped her body with his arm pulling her closer to him as his hand moved slowly caressing her back.  
  
"It was ... Wonderful ..." Diane said, breaking the silence but not looking up.  
  
"It was ... I missed you ..." Kurt replied in a whisper.  
  
But Diane did not answer, she just left a tender kiss on his chest, leaned over to turn off the light on her bedside table and little by little fell asleep in his arms. It had been too long since she felt so relaxed with someone that it didnʼt take her too long to fall asleep.


	8. "The day after"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, several days have passed since my last update and I must beg you to forgive me for this. In my country these are exam dates and, both me and my friend, we are studying all day.
> 
> As I have already told you, I have written many chapters, so you should not worry about the continuation of this fanfiction. I promise to finish it in the next few days and set the amount of chapters it will have.
> 
> For the moment, I hope you enjoy this chapter very much and, as I always tell you, I look forward to your beautiful comments that make me so happy!

The strong glare of the sun came through the window of the room. Diane's eyes opened slowly, she imagined what the time it would be since the sun was strongly coming through the window, she almost got desperate when she thought she had to go to work but then she remembered that it was Saturday and she just relaxed. Diane had focused so much on the previous thing that, after several minutes, she noticed the strong arm surrounding her waist and the breathing on her back, Kurt had all his body stuck to hers and his legs interlaced to hers, he was still asleep, she could tell by his quiet breathing. A smile settled on Diane's lips when she remembered the night before, that man had made love to her in a way that he could only do it, he was unique and she could not help thinking about how much she had missed him. Diane had to admit that what had happened that night had been wonderful and that she couldnʼt get it out of her mind for so long.  
  
She waited a few minutes to move because she really did not want to wake up Kurt, but when she saw her cell phone and noticed that it was 10 am she knew it was time to get up. Diane slowly slid her body out of Kurt's arms and, without Diane's body in his arms, he sighed but did not wake up, he simply settled into the bed to continue his peaceful sleep. Once standing, she put on her nightgown and, over it, her robe, Diane smiled at seeing him sleeping in her bed, and could not help remembering the first night they spent together in Dianeʼs student residence 28 years ago...  
  
  
_They had been dating for several weeks now, they really felt very good with each other. They had gone to have dinner, for a walk, they had studied together and everything they could have done together, they felt comfortable with that and their friends said they were a beautiful couple, although they were still nothing too formal._  
  
_One night, they were walking hand in hand to Dianeʼs student residence Diane, talking about the success she had had in her final exams. He was doing well too, but Diane was an excellent student and Kurt had helped her a lot to study._  
  
_When they arrived at the door of Diane's residence, they both stopped and looked at each other, knowing that neither of them wanted to separate from the other but neither was willing to take the first step._  
  
_After several minutes in which both contemplated the beautiful night, it was Diane who broke the silence with a shy laugh lowering her eyes to his shoes._  
  
_"This is so strange..."_  
  
_Kurt simply nodded and put his hands in his pockets, he did not want to pressure Diane into anything she did not want or even feel prepared for. Kurt could wait for her as long as necessary._  
  
_"You know ... You must be the first young man I go out with who does not have the explicit need to take me to bed ..." Diane mentioned without looking into his eyes. And it was true, it had been almost a month and a half and Kurt had not pressed her to take the next step, on the contrary, he was hoping that she was sure she wanted to give it._  
  
_"I'll take it as an accomplishment" Kurt said smiling, he took her right hand and the interlacing between his._  
  
_"Thank you..." she moved closer to him, placed her hands on his cheeks and kissed him on the lips. After a few seconds, they separated and looked into his eyes. "But I'm ready..." she took his hand again, opened the door of the residence and invited him inside. They entered a long corridor until they reached her room, Diane opened the door, turned on the light and looked at him. "Are you ready?"_  
  
_Kurt did not answer, he just looked her in the eyes and kissed her slowly as they entered the room. Diane only moved away from him to lock the door of her room, when she got it she turned to him and began to kiss him again._  
  
_They were both nervous, anyone who could see them could tell, but there was something in them that assured them that this was the right thing to do and that, each time they touched each other, they felt that they knew each other's lives, something united them and they were just understanding it._  
  
_Little by little, and still kissing, Diane was unbuttoning the buttons of his shirt and Kurt was taking the blouse off her. They did not go fast, they had time and, although they were nervous, they were taking all the time in the world to get to know each other and love each other. Kurt unzipped Diane's skirt and it slid down her long legs until it reached the floor, Diane pulled her legs out of her skirt and pushed her back along with her blouse and his shirt. Kurt sighed when he saw Diane's body, she was really beautiful and, although he had already fallen in love with her before, now he had fallen in love with that woman again. Diane simply blushed a little when she heard his sigh._  
  
_"Do not look at me like that, Kurt... I'm ashamed" she said with a shy smile on her face._  
  
_Kurt pulled her closer to his body. "You're gorgeous Diane... You should never be ashamed of me..." he said whispering close to her ear._  
  
_She looked at him with a smile and pushed him to the bed while she fell on him. "Tonight I want to be yours, Kurt... Only you..." she murmured in the same tone she had used before._  
  
_After she removed Kurt's pants and boxer shorts, they were both totally naked. Kurt placed himself above Diane and began to lower the kisses down her neck until they reached her breasts, which he passionately kissed the two of them. She moaned because of the pleasure it caused her, while his hands caressed her back._  
  
_"Kurt, I want you..." Her voice was ragged, she was panting for air. "I want to have you inside me now!" She exclaimed practically moaning._  
  
_He raised his head to see her with her eyes closed and her expression of pleasure. "Your wishes are orders..." Kurt said in Diane's ear as he kissed her neck._  
  
_He entered her slowly, as if he were asking permission, and his movements were slow for several minutes. He did not want to overdo it, he treated her as if she were a doll that he could break if he acted clumsily._  
  
_"More Kurt!" She screamed moaning. "Faster!" She exclaimed again. Kurt smiled, kissed her passionately and began to move faster._  
  
_Their bodies moved in unison and the pleasure was getting bigger. The room was filled with moans and grunts, filled with love and pleasure, this was not simple sex, this was love, they were two people loving each other for the first time and forever. Both reached an unforgettable orgasm, Kurt's body fell on Diane's while both tried to regain the air._  
  
_After a few minutes, Kurt had already gone to bed leaning his back against the back of the bed while stroking the blond hair of Diane, who rested on his chest, while his hand was up and down on her chest, his legs were interlaced and neither spoke. The silence was not uncomfortable, it was a silence of satisfaction._  
  
_Diane was the one who broke the quiet silence that had formed. "It's been the best night of my life, Kurt..." she whispered slowly, without lifting her head to look at him._  
  
_Kurt nodded to himself and raised his free hand to stroke her shoulder. He was afraid to say what he was thinking, but decided to risk saying it. "I love you"._  
  
_Diane smiled on his chest and looked at him, he calmed down to see her smile. "I think I love you too," she said quietly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world._  
  
  
"Since when do you get up before me?"  
  
That voice took her out of her memories as she turned to look at him. Kurt was leaning against the door frame of the kitchen, looking at her with curious and amused eyes. His question was right, she had never risen before him in the past, he always surprised her with breakfast in bed, but this was small compared to all the things that had changed in those years...  
  
"It's late I guess... I woke up thinking I was late for work," Diane said with a shrug while smiling. "Do you want coffee?" She said and turned to pour herself a cup.  
  
Kurt nodded. "Yes, but first ..." He approached her, hugged her from behind and gave her a tender kiss on the cheek. "Good morning, Diane."  
  
She smiled when she felt him close, she turned to look at him without letting go of her coffee cup. "Good morning, Kurt."  
  
He nodded pleased and walked away from her a little. "I think I'm going to need that coffee..."  
  
Diane smiled and turned her back to look for a cup in her cupboard. "I assumed... If you have not changed, you always have coffee in the morning..." she said, pouring him a cup of coffee and turning to him again to give it to him.  
  
"I have not changed..." he said, accepting the coffee cup.  
  
"Come," she ordered softly. Diane grabbed Kurt's hand and headed for her living room, she sat in the large chair and set her cup down on the table in front of her. "I think we need to talk..."  
  
"Yes, I know," he murmured, sitting next to her on the couch, imitating his action with his own cup. Then he looked into her eyes. "Last night was wonderful."  
  
"It was..." she said closing her eyes, remembering the night before. "But..." she opened her eyes to look at him. "I do not know what I want, Kurt... I mean... I'm confused, I do not know if this is going to work again, because we are not the same people, many things happened that changed me and surely many things happened to you... What I want To say is that- "  
  
And he silenced her again with a small kiss on the lips. "I understand you, but I do not want you to make this bigger than it is ..." he clarified and smiled at the sight of Diane tilting her head to one side without understanding what he meant. "What I want to say is that we are adults, we have met again and I love it, but I do not want to force the situation and I know you donʼt want that either ... We have time, we can get to know each other again, Di."  
  
Diane widened her eyes when she noticed that he seemed to have things more clarified than her, and all she could do was nod her head.  
  
"Well... So are we good?" He asked.  
  
"Yes... We're fine..." she said looking at him. _God, this man is going to drive me crazy_ , she thought to herself.  
  
"Perfect, then..." Kurt said and stood up from the chair. "I'll make breakfast... You can not live just with coffee, Diane," he said as he headed back towards the kitchen.  
  
Diane shook her head in amusement as she followed him with her gaze until he entered the kitchen. They both knew that last night would be a before and after in their lives, something had reawakened in both of them and could not be silenced easily.  
  
  
  
\---------------------------------  
  
  
  
Kurt took a week to call Diane again after that Saturday, it was not really because he did not want to, because he was dying to hear her voice again, but because he did not want to pressure her. Kurt knew that she had many things to think about, and he was not in a position to question her, he just hoped that she would make a good decision.  
  
When Kurt called her back, she was happy to hear his voice. _She may have missed me too, he thought_ , though he could not imagine. They were three years together in the past, and twentyfive they were separated, but he knew that woman as if he had never left and he knew that she had surely managed to forget him enough just to not miss him too much.  
  
They organized to have lunch the next day, Diane would be in court but had an hour off for lunch and knew a nearby restaurant that Kurt would love. He also had to give testimony that day, but much earlier than lunchtime, so they agreed that he would wait for her at the bar that was in front of the court.  
  
"Sorry to make you wait ..." she said when she arrived and saw him sitting at a small table reading a newspaper. She leaned toward him and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek. "Shall we go?"  
  
"Hey... Yes, come on" he paid for the coffee at the bar and they both left for the restaurant.  
  
They were walking while holding hands as Diane commented on how intense her morning had been, the case she was handling had become complicated and the defendant was not collaborating too much. Kurt watched her with tenderness, he was proud that she could have become everything she had dreamed of as a young girl, Diane was an excellent lawyer and he could not help remembering the hours they had spent studying together.  
  
After arriving at the restaurant and ordering the food, Kurt asked Diane how she had managed to become a principal partner in a prestigious law firm. She began to tell the story of how she met Stern, how difficult it was for her to get into a world of men and how she managed to get what she wanted so much. At one point, Kurt interrupted his story.  
  
"I've never stopped loving you..." he said looking into her eyes. The words came out of his mouth before he could think twice, it was true what he said, he still loved that woman, but he did not have to tell her yet, they had agreed that they would go slowly and this could ruin everything.  
  
Diane widened her eyes at the confession and then looked down at her plate. "I think..." she murmured and cleared her voice to continue. "I think I could not stop loving you either, Kurt."


	9. "Surprise"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again beauties!
> 
> I hope to continue to keep my updates on two per week, but I do not promise anything. It is a month a little complicated for the students, know how to understand and forgive me!!
> 
> For those who missed Martha in the previous chapter, here they have it again!!
> 
> I hope you like the chapter and, as I always tell you, your comments are always welcome!
> 
> Happy reading!

The weeks went faster than what Diane had expected. In Lockhart - Gardner there was a millionaire case that had everyone very busy and, although Will was the lead lawyer and Diane was with him, she tried to do everything she could to make her partner's job lighter, which in turn she was dealing with another very complex case. Martha had called several times in the last few weeks, in the last call she announced to her mother that the graduation would be in two weeks and that she would go to Chicago the previous week to spend time with her mother, they would travel together to New York for the graduation weekend. The Kurt thing was going very well, they went out to have dinner almost every night and she had gone to spend two weekends at his house. Diane felt so good about having him by her side, since the confession in the restaurant they did not mention the subject again, they both knew that they loved each other but tried not to say it because they didnʼt want to force the relationship.  
  
Diane had managed to bury her fears, or that was what she believed. As things went, she did not have to be afraid of the past, if Kurt had ever suspected that Martha could be his daughter he had disguised it very well, because Diane was very careful about mentioning anything that could create a doubt in his mind. On the occasions that they talked about the years when they did not know about each other, Kurt mentioned several times his desire to have children and start a family, Diane tried not to show emotions about it and fortunately Kurt didnʼt ask about the whereabouts of Martha's father. Although she always asked herself if it would make sense to tell her the truth now, too many years had passed and Martha never asked Diane for a present father, but she felt guilty when she saw Kurt right into the eyes and could not tell him the truth, she thought that maybe one day that fear would disappear... Maybe with the passing of the months...  
  
It was Friday afternoon, Diane was reading a folder that contained information about a case and putting together the questions she would ask to the witness she had to question on Monday. She was so focused on what she was reading she didnʼt notice that Kurt had slipped silently into his office and had slowly settled on the large sofa that she had next to the front door. After a few minutes, Diane looked up at her glasses and gasped when she saw him sitting there, looking at her with a smile.  
  
"Oh my God! Do you want to kill me, Kurt? "Diane exclaimed as she raised her hand to her chest and looked at Kurt with wide eyes.  
  
"Sorry... But I saw you so focused that I did not want to bother you..." he said shrugging and smiling. "Although a tornado could happen right in front of you and you would not notice..."  
  
She laughed at his comment. She knew it was true, Diane was very focused on the folder she was reading that she wasnʼt paying attention to what was going on around her. "Though that does not give you the right to scare me, Mr. McVeigh" she said defending herself as she got up from her chair and walked towards to the sofa where Kurt was, Diane leaned in front of him and gave a small but passionate kiss to Kurt in the lips.  
  
At the end of the kiss, Kurt looked at her and smiled "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I should have knock" Kurt said raising his hands in his defense. "Even if you're going to scold me like that, I'll do it more often," he added in a more seductive tone.  
  
She smacked him on the shoulder and smiled. "What are we doing today? From what I remember we do not have any scheduled appointments...” she asked, sitting next to him on the couch.  
  
Kurt shrugged, actually he had nothing planned, he just wanted to see her. "I decided to surprise you, but I see that you are very busy... Maybe we could have a quiet dinner in your apartment..."  
  
Diane ran a hand through Kurt's chest as she thought about his suggestion. "Mmm, I like the idea ... Even if you have to cook."  
  
He let out a laugh. "How else would it be? You do not even know how to turn on a stove and I'm not in the mood to order food again, "Kurt mentioned amused. And, although it was true that Diane had never been a good cooker, she took offense and hit him on the shoulder again.  
  
"Hey! You may be right, but it's still offensive, "she said, smiling amused. “Besides ordering food is easier than learning how to cook."   
  
Kurt shook his head several times without stopping smiling. "You have not changed at all, Mrs. Lockhart. I think that in those three years we were together you have cooked only once..."  
  
Diane smiled as she remembered that moment of their past relationship. "Yes, and I think that was the most horrible pasta I've ever tasted ..." she commented and laughed out loud when she remembered that day.  
  
  
  
\-----------------------------------  
  
  
  
They arrived at Diane's apartment around 8 pm. She had brought several folders from her office about the case she was working on, since she had to keep working at night. Kurt had bought the food for that night and, as soon as they arrived at the apartment, he went to the kitchen to start cooking.  
  
After what could have been an hour, because neither of them were keeping track of the time, Diane was reading one of her report folders in the living room. She had to read everything she could, since the case was too complicated for her client and she could not find anything that would make it less complicated. Diane had been sleeping not that much during that week, she spent the whole day in Lockhart - Gardner doing research and reading about her client, she could not find a way out and that frustrated her a lot. She was already tired, her body was starting to make her pay for the few hours she had slept and for how little she had eaten during the week.  
  
She had read the same line three times and her brain could no longer understand it, so she understood that she urgently needed a break. Diane got up from the sofa, she moved slowly towards the kitchen, following the delicious smell that came from there.  
  
Diane smiled at the sight of Kurt, with his back to her, cooking for both of them. "That smells really good..." she said in a low voice, as she leaned on the island of her kitchen.  
  
Kurt smiled to himself, but did not turn to her. "I hope you like it ... It will be ready in a few minutes" Kurt replied, in the same tone of voice. After a moment, he turned to see her, Kurt found her with her head thrown back and her eyes closed, she was still wearing her glasses and her hands were clinging to the marble of the island. Kurt approached her and placed his hands around her hips. Diane opened her eyes at his touch and looked at him with her tired eyes. "Are you okay?".  
  
Diane nodded slowly, placing her arms on her shoulder blades. "I'm just tired ... It's been a difficult week" she replied in her tired voice.  
  
Kurt shook his head several times as if he was disapproving of what Diane was saying. "And you've probably slept a few hours and you have not eaten as you should..." Diane's eyes widened as she heard his words and, before she had time to protest, Kurt continued. "You are the same young woman who did not eat or sleep during the final exams weeks, there are things that do not change..."  
  
She looked at him and shrugged. "Maybe... Just several years older..." she said smiling, even though she knew Kurt would reprimand her for continuing with the same habits.  
  
Kurt frowned and ran a hand down Diane's cheek. "Just take care of yourself... I do not want anything to happen to you..." He gave her a tender kiss on the lips. "Go sit down, I'll take the food in a minute.  
  
Diane nodded, grabbed a bottle of wine, two glasses and went to the dining room table. She poured a generous amount of wine into her glass and took a distracted sip, letting her mind drift back into her thoughts. That man had not changed at all, she remembered him a million times telling her the same phrase, he always cared about her and her bad habits when it came to studying or working.  
  
Both ate quietly, Diane recalled the last talk with her daughter and informed Kurt that Martha would be coming to Chicago in a week, he was very happy that Diane finally was introducing him her daughter in the right way, since they only had seen each other that time in court. Then they talked about the testimony that Kurt had given in the morning and the weak questions that the prosecutor in charge of the case had made, Kurt said that he had practically won by the complainant and that it was not difficult for him to prove that he was innocent. Diane tried to pay attention to what he was saying about her case, but her thoughts wandered in the report folders she had left in the living room, she already had a headache and what she most wanted was to get into bed and sleep until noon the next day, but her responsibilities were always beyond her needs.  
  
Kurt looked at her with a frown when he saw that she had left more than a half of the plate full. "Did not you like the food?" Diane looked up and shook her head emphatically. "No! It's not that, Kurt. It was delicious, itʼs just that I'm not hungry..."  
  
He frowned. "You need to rest, Diane... Why do not you go lie down while I set up the kitchen?"  
  
"It is not necessary, I must continue reading about-" she wanted to continue her sentence, but Kurt put a finger on her lips not allowing her to talk.  
  
"No, you're going to rest because you need it. Everything you want to read today you can do it tomorrow morning. I'm going to clean up the kitchen and then I'll get you some tea, okay?" He asked just to look correct, but they both knew that Kurt would not let her get back to work that night.  
  
Diane wanted to protest, but she knew Kurt was right so she just nodded and leaned over the table to give him a short kiss on the lips. "It's not necessary... But thanks for taking care..."  
  
Half an hour later, they were both in bed watching a movie. Kurt was leaning against the back of the bed and he was wrapping Diane with one arm bringing her closer to his body, she had her head resting on his chest and was making slow caresses on him. They were quiet, enjoying each other's company, so calm that Diane managed to forget the case and the pending folders, and little by little she fell asleep in Kurt's strong arms. He, noticing, placed a sweet kiss on her head, turned off the television and lights and also settled down to sleep trying not to move Diane's body too much so she wouldnʼt wake up.  
  
  
  
\----------------------------------  
  
  
  
It was already 9 am when Kurt woke up. He opened his eyes trying to get used to the natural light that entered the room and looked at the beautiful woman who rested peacefully at his side. She was disheveled and with her pajamas slightly dislocated, but he could not help smiling as he watched her. Diane was beautiful at any moment, and he could not stop thinking about how stupid he had been to let her go so many years ago. He had always loved her and no one could say that he did not look for her after they split up, but he always understood why Diane did not want to see him again, and he knew he deserved it. Kurt had not respected that woman as he had always promised he would and he did not know that he could lose her until Diane left his life for what, at that moment, seemed to be forever. He thought how fortunate it was that she had given him a second chance, he still was not sure that she had forgiven him but he felt that, if things continued as they had until then, she would forgive him sooner or later.  
  
Kurt got up from the bed as slowly as he could to prevent Diane from waking up, he put on his pajama pants, his shirt on, and left Diane's room to go to the kitchen. Kurt thought that he could make Diane breakfast and take it to bed as he had so many times during his youth, she loved those lovely details from him and he did not think that she had just changed in that...  
  
He was so focused on his thoughts, that he did not hear the front door opening and within seconds the door closing. Martha had decided to surprise her mother by going to Chicago a week earlier than scheduled, she entered the house in silence knowing that her mother would surely be sleeping, but when she passed by the front of the kitchen, Martha was shocked by seeing Kurt there, who was very concentrated at his beating eggs. Martha first widened her eyes and then smiled, this could only mean one thing...  
  
"Mr. McVeigh?" Martha asked cautiously, entering the kitchen.  
  
Kurt jumped on the spot and turned quickly, seeing Martha smiling towards him, Kurt simply blushed. "Martha? What are you doing here? Your mother told me that you would arrive next week."  
  
Martha nodded slowly, as she moved closer to face him. "I would do that, although I decided to surprise my mother and come a week earlier" Martha answered with a shrug. "Although... I think I surprised the wrong person..." she said smiling.  
  
He widened his eyes. "Maybe... Em... It could be..." Kurt said blushing. "I do not know if your mother has told you something about us..." Definitely, this situation made him feel very embarrassed.   
  
Martha shook her head slightly. "Do not worry, I do not need to know anything..." she said winking at Kurt. "Is my mother still asleep?"  
  
"Yes, she's in his room" Kurt replied in a small whisper.   
  
She nodded and started walking towards the kitchen exit. "I'll go and wake her up, I think she'll be surprised to see me here..."  
  
Martha climbed the stairs and sneaked into Diane's room. She was still sleeping quietly clutching Kurt's pillow, which made Martha smile even more.  
  
"Mom?" Martha said quietly as she slowly shook her mother's shoulder. "Wake up mom," she said in a louder volume.  
  
Diane moved a little, grumbling. "Let me sleep, Martha" after a few seconds she thought about what she had just said and opened her eyes looking at Martha who was sitting next to her. "What are you doing here? You told me you would be arriving next week!" Diane said getting up a little to wrap her daughter in a huge hug.  
  
She hugged her mother. "Everyone tells me the same thing in this apartment..." Martha added smiling on Diane's shoulder.  
  
Diane broke the hug with her daughter, but without letting go of her shoulders, she frowned. "Me and who else?" She asked in a slightly somnolent voice, trying to sit on the bed leaning on the backrest.  
  
Martha rolled her eyes and smiled. "You and Kurt, mom. Or do you think I did not notice the man you have downstairs getting ready for breakfast? "She laughed at the sight of Diane blushing and widening her eyes. "When did you intend to tell me you are going out with your youth boyfriend who you never wanted to talk to me about?"


	10. "Caught up"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay, girls! It has been a complicated week, but here is a chapter for you to relax a little this week!
> 
> I hope you like it and do not forget to leave me your beautiful comments that make me very happy!

Diane's world stopped for a minute. She needed a minute to understand what was happening in her room. Her daughter had arrived earlier to surprise her. Kurt was downstairs preparing breakfast for her. They met and neither of them knew that the other could be there at that moment. But the main question at that time was: Why did she feel that she had been caught doing something wrong? Although Martha did not know that her mother had started dating Kurt, she was going to tell her when she saw her next week, she was even thinking about inviting them to eat so they could meet each other. But, incredibly as it may seem, Diane was not yet ready to introduce them, and perhaps she would not have been ready for that moment, even though she believed that everything was solved in her mind.  
  
"Kurt..." Diane started stuttering and took a moment to clear her throat. "Did you see Kurt?" Her voice was a small whisper.  
  
Martha nodded enthusiastically. "He's making you breakfast in the kitchen. He is very tender, mother! "She exclaimed happily, without noticing the horror look on her mother's face.  
  
Diane had to laugh at her daughter's comment, putting aside her earlier expression. "And I guess now I can not help telling you what heʼs doing here?" She said crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
Martha opened her big blue eyes and hit her mother on the shoulder gently. "Do not. You can not avoid it. You've hidden it for too long! When were you going to tell me? " It still sounded funny in her voice.  
  
"When youʼd come next week, Martha. I did not expect you to arrive today, and I do not think it's the kind of news that I should give over the phone... "Diane knew she had a good excuse.  
  
Martha nodded slowly, took one of her mother's hands and held it between her own. "You look very happy... That makes me very happy..."  
  
Diane smiled at her daughter and nodded. "Thank you... He makes me feel good... I do not know what's happening to me..."  
  
Martha smiled even more at her mother's comment. "Even the ice queen falls in love, mother..." she murmured and she couldnʼt help laughing when her mother gently pushed her shoulder.  
  
"Hey! I'm not the ice queen! "Diane said pretending to be offended by Martha's comment. "And I'm not in love" she forced herself to clarify.  
  
"It's what people say, mother..." Martha said amusedly. "And about being in love, let me think about it, because your little eyes do not say the same..." and before her mother could contradict her, she added. "Well, it's time to get up, put on a robe and go to the kitchen that your man probably doesnʼt know where to hide."  
  
  
  
\---------------------------  
  
  
  
When Diane and Martha came down the stairs and walked to the kitchen, they both found Kurt putting on the table the breakfast for the three of them. _This man has won heaven_ , Diane thought vaguely. Kurt saw them approaching and smiled at them, although Diane could see that he was blushing. He was a very shy person and she knew him enough to know when a situation embarrassed him.  
  
"I assumed that Martha had not had breakfast yet... I prepared breakfast for everyone," Kurt said shyly, breaking the silence for the first time.

"Everything looks delicious! And luckily I still had not had breakfast. Thank you, Kurt! "Martha enthusiastically said as she made her way to the dining room table.  
  
Kurt smiled slightly at the thanks and when he made sure Martha wasnʼt looking he gave Diane a small kiss on the lips. "Good morning," he greeted timidly and quietly.  
  
"Good morning, Kurt," she said, in the same tone of voice as his, while smiling. "I must apologize for this... I really had no idea that Martha would come earlier..."  
  
"Do not worry... It's your daughter and I like her very much..." he said sincerely, while he placed a breast of blond hair behind her ear. "Come... Let's have breakfast," he said and took one of Diane's hands to direct it towards the table.  
  
Diane could barely talk during breakfast, Kurt and Martha were very comfortable talking about their lives and getting to know each other. And even if she could talk, she could not have done it, Diane was too stunned by the situation she was living. She felt terrible for not being able to tell them the truth, every time she thought about it too much, she ended up feeling incredibly selfish and guilty for feeling that she had not made good decisions in the past. Everything Diane thought she had organized in her mind, Martha's meeting with Kurt had messed it up, and again she was trying to accommodate her ideas. Kurt had had the right to know he was a father, she should have come back to tell him the news... _And maybe today the story would be different_ , Diane thought vaguely. But then she was full of frustration and she was angry with Kurt for cheating on her so she convinced herself that she had made the best decision she could take according to the circumstances.  
  
Her two guests seemed not to notice the fight Diane was having with her thoughts during breakfast, since neither of them noticed Diane's absence in the conversation at the table.  
  
After breakfast, Kurt claimed he had to go to work on a lastminute case, he said goodbye to Martha and headed for the front door while Diane followed him.  
  
"Will she ask you many questions?" Kurt asked, in a low voice, when he turned to Diane to say goodbye.  
  
"A thousand!" Diane replied rolling her eyes. "But I guess one day I'd have to explain..." Her tone was the same as Kurtʼs.  
  
"I'll call you later," he said, placing a soft kiss on Diane's lips. "Although I'll understand if you're busy with your daughter..."  
  
Diane shook her head slowly. "Do not worry, sheʼll spent most of the days with her friends as usual..." she reproached with a shrug. "I'll call you when i organized my things..."  
  
Kurt nodded and smiled. "It's okay. I'll wait for your call..." he placed another kiss on his lips, although this was longer and more passionate.  
  
When Kurt left and Diane went back into her apartment, she found Martha watching her amused and with her arms crossed over her chest.  
  
"Why do you look at me like that? Did I do something wrong? "Diane asked as she walked across her daughter heading to the kitchen to wash the dishes and clean everything up.  
  
Martha opened her eyes wide and got up from her place at the table to follow her mother. "You have too many things to tell me! How could it be that you're dating someone and your daughter does not know?"  
  
"It's not the big deal, Martha," Diane reproached, rolling her eyes as she washed the dishes without looking at her daughter.  
  
"It does not seem like it's the big deal, he's already sleeping in your apartment, that's a big step!" Martha said, as she leaned on the kitchen island. "He is charming and you change your eyes when you see him, that's a lot for me."  
  
Diane turned to her daughter and widened her eyes. "I do not change my eyes! Stop saying stupid things! "She exclaimed practically screaming.  
  
"I say what I see, mother" Martha explained calmly while smiling. "And I see that man must have been someone very important in your life..."  
  
Diane finished washing the dishes, dried her hands and looked at her resignedly. "You wonʼt stop bothering me until I tell you the whole story, right?" Seeing Martha's negative response she continued. "Okay, I'll tell you everything..."  
  
Then mother and daughter went to the living room and Diane began to tell her the love story with Kurt. Of course Diane did not go into details, she simply explained how important it had been for her those 3 years they were together and with the affection she remembered that part of her life. Diane did not explain how their relationship ended, she just told her that things got complicated and that she decided that the best thing for both of them was to put distance between them.  
  
"But you must have missed it..." Martha mentioned in a whisper, they were the first words she said after the short monologue her mother had made, and Diane could not be more surprised at her daughter's silence.  
  
Diane nodded and moved her eyes from her daughter' eyes to her hands, which were in her own lap. "Yes, I've done it for many years... But over the years I understood that it was the best I could do given the circumstances we were in..."  
  
Martha nodded and stayed a moment in silence, Diane saw how she was trying to ask something but could not find the words. "I arrived a long time later?" Martha asked quietly.  
  
The question took her by surprise to Diane, and for a moment she did not know how to respond. Diane could not tell Martha the truth, she could not tell him that all that had been only a few months before her arrival.  
  
"No... A few months alone, maybe a year..." Diane answered firmly, although she did not feel the same firmness that was in her voice. "But that's not important…"  
  
Martha nodded and hugged her mother tightly. "The most important thing is that you were able to rediscover and now you are giving yourselves a second chance..." she said on her mother's shoulder.  
  
Diane responded to her daughter's embrace in the same way. "Yes... I guess you're right... Although I still do not know very well what happens to me when I'm with him..."  
  
"You will find out... Meanwhile you can enjoy what is happening to you, it shows that he is a good man..."  
  
Diane nodded slowly. "He's one of the best people i have ever met Martha..."  
  
No one who knew the whole story could have thought that one day Diane would say that Kurt was one of the best people she had ever met, even if she had not told the whole story to anyone, only to Will and she did not go into too much detail. She spent many years trying to discover what was left of her feelings for him, knowing that she could never forget it at all. At times she thought that she hated him, especially the first years after the breakup, but then she understood that she was simply too hurt by everything, and that she could never hate that man.  
  
  
  
\-------------------------------  
  
  
  
That same day in the afternoon, they were both involved in their jobs in the living room of Diane's apartment. She was still preparing and reading about the hearing she had the following Monday for the same case in which she had been working since the previous night. Martha was obsessed with drawing an idea of a design that had come up to her during lunch. Neither of them spoke, they were very focused on theirs and the only thing that joined them were the teacups that Diane had prepared a few minutes ago.  
  
"Mother?" Martha called breaking the silence, looking at Diane.  
  
"Hmm?" Diane answered without lifting her head from her computer.  
  
"Have you invited Kurt to my graduation?" Martha's voice was practically a whisper.  
  
Diane raised her head and looked at her daughter without taking off her glasses, she had to blink several times before understanding the question that Martha had asked her. "Emm... No, I have not invited him... Should I have done it?"  
  
Martha shrugged. "I think so... It's your boyfriend and you'll be very happy to go..." she explained simply. "Apart... I would like him to go."  
  
“I do not know... I think it's a bit hasty..." Diane excused herself, although she perfectly knew that her daughter would not accept a "no" as an answer.  
  
"Perhaps… Inviting him... You show him something of what you feel, that is very difficult for you to put into words..."  
  
Martha was right and Diane knew it would be a big step in their current relationship, but... How would she tell Kurt? Of course it would not be strange for her to invite him to her daughter's graduation, and of course he would say that he would be happy to go. Now, could she invite Kurt to her daughter's graduation without telling him she was his daughter?  
  
Seeing that her mother had been speechless at what she had proposed, Martha decided to give her an exit for the time being. "Just think about it... You do not need to give me an answer now..."  
  
"No... Sure... I know... I'll think about it, Martha" Diane stuttered trying to make a smile with her lips, although the result was not very convincing.  
  
She had to do something, Martha would not leave her alone until she gave her an affirmative answer and she felt that she should think very hard about what she would do. It was very selfish of her not to invite Kurt because of her fears, he deserved to be part of that important moment in Diane's life, regardless of the blood ties that bounded him to his daughter. But if she invited him, she had to prepare to have him by her side as a couple during the whole ceremony and she did not know if it was too soon to act as a formal couple.  
  
Although Diane tried to concentrate on work again, she did not succeed. Her mind went back and forth between positive and negative responses, each time she was sure about one of them, the other came to make her doubt again and the vicious circle began again.  
  
After a couple of hours, she gave up to be able to keep working and closed her computer tightly, so hard that Martha jumped in place on the small couch in front of the big sofa where Diane was.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Martha asked, muttering.  
  
Diane shuddered at Martha's question, she was just so involved in her thoughts that she forgot that she had her daughter sitting in front of her. "No... Only a complex case..."  
  
Martha nodded slowly and put down her notebook. "Ah... It's okay... I can not concentrate on this either..."  
  
"And could I know what has you so deconcentrated?" Diane asked with a frown.  
  
Martha looked away from her mother's eyes and placed her somewhere in the room. "There's something I have to ask you... But I'm a little scared of the answer..." Her voice was so small, it made Diane shudder.  
  
Diane widened her eyes and her pulse accelerated, whatever her daughter wanted to ask her, could not be good because of the worry that had flooded her face. "Tell me what happens?"  
  
"Mom..." Martha said and her gaze returned to Diane's eyes, which looked at her with curiosity and fear at the same time. "Is there any chance that Kurt could be my father?"  
  
The question went through Diane and left her speechless. What would she say to Martha? Clearly life was putting her a test, it was the first time since Kurt had returned to her life that she could not disguise a sincere answer. Now Diane must lie, having her daughter face to face and looking into her eyes. Was she willing to do that?  
  
When Diane was about to answer her daughter's question, her phone started ringing. She took it in her hands and frowned when she saw the name on the screen.  
  
"One second, Martha. It's Will" Diane excused herself, answering the call and putting her phone to her ear. "Will? What's wrong?" She asked her best friend on the phone.  
  
"Diane, I need you right now in the office." Will's voice was scattered, as if he were moving hastily.  
  
"It's Saturday, William. If nobody has died, you can wait until Monday, "she exclaimed, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Diane, someone's dead!" Will shouted into Diane's ear, trying to keep her from cutting the call. "Do you remember Mrs. Miller? We ended her divorce last week..."  
  
Diane thought for a moment until she remembered the divorce David Lee had handled. "Of course I remember her, she was very scared..." she remembered the young blonde who had been crying in the conference room. "What happened?"  
  
"They just found her body in her house ... It seems they killed her." Will's voice was much lower than the one he had used before. "Diane, you must come to the office now!"  
  
Diane opened her eyes wide. "I..." the words were lost in his throat. "Shit!" She cried, scaring her daughter who had already moved from the small couch to sit next to her mother. "I'm going out there, Will," she said and hung up the call.  
  
Martha looked at her expectant mother. "What happened?" She asked as she watched her mother gather all her folders from the small coffee table in front of her and get up from the sofa.  
  
"They've killed a client of ours..." Diane said slowly, as she grabbed her briefcase and placed the folders there. "I should go to the law firm now, but I promise we'll talk later, okay?"  
  
"Sure, mom. Do not worry about this, just go where they need you, whatever you need you can call me" Martha said without moving from the sofa.  
  
Diane gave her a smile. "Thank you, honey," she said, putting on her heels, her coat and practically running out of the apartment.  
  
Martha heard the door close and took her notebook again to continue the design. She tried to forget the question she had asked Diane, her mother would not hide something like that from her, specially having that man in front of her eyes. Martha thought her mother might be offended by doubting her. Maybe it was better that Will interrupted the conversation they were having with his call.


	11. "Dramatic"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very sorry for the delay! My schedules will be accommodating in the next few days and I will be able to update more frequently, I ask you for a little patience!
> 
> I hope you like the chapter and, as always, I will be reading your comments!

* * *

"Could you tell me what's wrong with you?"  
  
Diane lifted her head and frowned. They were in Kurt's truck heading to his house, they had arranged to have dinner together and they had both decided that he would pick her up at work, so she did not have to drive the 40 miles separating Kurt's house from the city alone at night. Since Martha was in town and she was staying at her apartment, Diane thought that they would have more privacy if they went to Kurt's house. Apart from that, the idea of spending a weekend in the countryside with Kurt was incredibly relaxing.  
  
After Kurt's question Dianeʼs leg shaking completely stopped. She had been nervous since the other afternoon when she spoke to Martha, and her daughter filled her with questions, she had not been able to stop thinking about. Diane felt bad for not being able to tell the truth to her daughter, Willʼs call had taken her out of the most disturbing moment of her life, she had never imagined that Martha could ask such a thing, Diane would never have imagined that Martha could Deduce that Kurt was her father. It had been two days and she had not been able to sleep because of this, everything she thought she could overcome was returning to her life like a tornado, ready to break all that remained of her mental stability. It was the first time she had seen Kurt since her meeting with her daughter in Diane's apartment. This moved her feelings too much, Diane could not get out of her mind the idea that she was doing everything wrong, that she had always done everything wrong, but she could not find a way to solve it.  
  
Diane looked at Kurt with a frown a few seconds before managing to get the words stuck in her throat. "Nothing happens to me, Kurt..." she murmured, moving her gaze back to her own shoes.  
  
"You‘ve been the whole trip looking at your heels while moving your leg... Something goes wrong at work?" Kurt asked without taking his eyes off the road, she could tell he was worried because of his voice.  
  
"It's not that... Well, maybe it's a bit of that... But it's nothing I can not solve in the office..." she clarified, Kurt frown and she gave him a short look, as if he was waiting for her to keep talking. "Martha told me that she wants you to come with us to her graduation..." she found a quick way out of his question, although it was not a lie that Martha's proposal had altered her, she was not thinking exactly about that.  
  
Kurt's eyes widened and his gaze locked on Diane's for a few seconds before looking back down the road. "Is that what makes you so nervous?" When Diane nodded slowly at his side, he continued. "Why? Of course I'll go to Martha's graduation if you want... "he said as if Diane's concern about this was silly.  
  
Diane looked at him for a second, but when he turned to look at her again, she looked down again. "I feel it's a big step in our relationship..." her voice was still a small whisper.  
  
"A step you do not know if you're willing to give..." Kurt tried to conclude, although he was surprised by Diane's sudden movement of denial.  
  
"It's not that, I want to take several more steps with you, Kurt..." Diane said honestly, in a slightly louder tone. "But I do not know if it's too soon for this..."  
  
Kurt frowned and thought for a few minutes before he spoke again. "Do you want me to go to the graduation?"  
  
Diane nodded. "Of course I want... I would love to have you by my side that day..."  
  
"Okay... Then do not give the matter so many turns, you want me to go and I do not want anything more than to go with you" Kurt simply said.  
  
Diane widened her eyes and looked at him. "Why do you make everything look so simple?" She whispered with a small smile on her lips.  
  
"Why do you always complicate everything?" He replied with a smile on his face  
  
"I just want us to be fine..." she murmured, resting her hand on Kurt's cheek and slowly stroking it.  
  
Kurt leaned on her touch and did not respond. Something was strange about her and he could not guess what it was. Diane had always been like that, she questioned a million times and analyzed the good and bad things of everything. But now it was different, she seemed nervous every time she had to deal with something related to their relationship. Of course he understood that maybe they had not talked enough about the past so they would to be able to leave it behind once and for all and that she had not managed to recover from everything they had to go through. He had many questions for her, at that time Diane had disappeared from the world, he searched everywhere and tried to call her millions of times, but no one knew what had happened to Diane's life, after a year Kurt He gave up and understood that she did not want to see him again. But maybe she also had questions for him that were shaking her mind, leading her to be very nervous.  
  
He knew that, form both of them, the one who had suffered the most was Diane, it was a double betrayal that must have broken her heart. On the one hand, her best friend Sarah, she was the one who had introduced Kurt and Diane, she had trusted their relationship long before the two of them were together, Kurt knew how important Sarah was to Diane and yet, the alcohol and temptation were stronger ... On the other hand, Diane was losing her great love, her partner and her best friend. She loved Kurt so much, they were the example of the perfect couple, all of her friends believed that they would last a long time, get married and have children. But Kurt's mistake was so great that it destroyed those expectations, most of all, the expectations of the two of them. He finished the future that they had planned together, and that was something that he believed he could never forgive himself for.  
  
Kurt was so grateful with life for this new opportunity with Diane. He would not waste this new chance for anything in the world, it was almost 30 years since he was sure he wanted to be with that woman, even though life has separated them in the worst way. Kurt would fight for her at all costs and he would not let her go again.  
  
  
\-----------------------  
  
  
Later that night, the fire was burning in front of them. It was a cold night and in Chicago it felt more like the icy breeze, although it was early autumn, the temperature had gradually dropped during the recent weeks. They were both sitting on the sofa watching the most corny and melodramatic movie that Diane could find, Kurt had one arm over Diane's shoulders and she was leaning lightly on his chest with one arm wrapped around Kurt's waist, they were both so calm and comfortable that they had no intention of moving at all.  
  
Kurt placed a tender and soft kiss on Diane's head, she lifted her head to look at him with her eyes tired and tearful.  
  
"Why are you crying?" Kurt asked in a worried tone arching an eyebrow.  
  
She laughed, at his concern, and cried more. "You're not paying attention to the movie, Kurt!" Diane complained. "Do not you see that her father forces her to separate from him because he is not a boy with money? It's sad!"  
  
Kurt chuckled and shook his head. "Honestly, I do not see it... The problem is that I have more important things to see from up here..." he said looking at the thin fabric of the small nightgown that covered Diane's body.  
  
She looked up and met his eyes that looked at her with so much passion that she thought he would undress her just with the look. "Kurt... My eyes are up here..." Diane scolded smiling, as she passed her free hand through Kurt's strong chest.  
  
"I'm sorry... I just look at you and I can think of so many ways to take off that nightgown," Kurt said seductively, as his free hand went down Diane's entire body until he reached the hem of her nightgown, just above her knees. "May l?"  
  
"Since when do you ask for permission, Mr. McVeigh?" She murmured and then kissed him deeply. Passion began to take over their bodies, and both knew that there was no turning back...  
  
Kurt lifted Diane by her waist and sat her body on her legs, she collaborated by placing her legs side by side around Kurtʼs body. His kisses were intense, passionate, energetic, but always retaining the tenderness and love they both felt for each other. Diane's hands went to play with Kurt's hair, while he stroked her back with both hands.  
  
After a few minutes of caresses and passionate kisses, Kurt took Diane's nightgown and, little by little, it was lifted by her thighs to reach the height of her arms. "Allow me, Miss Lockhart?" Kurt asked playfully, indicating that she should raise her arms so that he could get rid of the little nightgown.  
  
Diane obeyed immediately, raising both arms above her head, and with a jerk Kurt took off the nightgown that in a few seconds ended up being part of the living room set. By having such a perfect view of her breasts, he could not help moving his lips over them, slowly, placing small kisses. Diane moaned at the touch of his lips on her skin, he knew what caused her more pleasure and she loved him so much for this.  
  
"Kurt! Please! "She moaned tilting her head back, she could feel Kurt's erection crashing against her thigh and that excited her much more.  
  
Between caresses and kisses, she removed his shirt, forcing him to do the same movement that she did with her arms to be able to take it off. Once the shirt had gone along with her nightgown, Diane was lowering her hands until they reached Kurt's pants, trying to take them off as quickly as possible.  
  
Kurt smiled as he felt Diane's hands on his hips. "Wait, Miss Lockhart. Are you in a hurry today? "Kurt whispered in her ear between kisses.  
  
"Kurt, I need you! I want you inside me now! "She exclaimed in a moan when she felt Kurt's fingers closing to her bottom. "Oh dear!" Diane continued moaning louder and louder.  
  
Kurt lifted Diane back into his arms and left her lying on the couch. Then he got up to take off his own pants and his underpants, he took Diane's panties off with a single pull and lay on top of her, careful not to put all his weight on her. Kurt started kissing again between Diane's breasts, but this time he did not stop there, he went down all over her body until reaching her hips, Diane's breathing was shaking as she felt it closer to her bottom. Her moans were almost screams of lust. Kurt placed a kiss on her bottom and moved to penetrate her, she let out a gasp at the surprise of feeling him inside her.  
  
Diane opened her eyes and looked at his playful expression. "You are a box of surprises..." she murmured in a broken voice as she looked into his eyes with a smile.  
  
Kurt grinned. "And you have not seen anything yet..."

He began to penetrate her slowly but strongly, both taking time to feel and love each other. When passion completely took over them and their orgasms were getting closer, the movements between them began to increase in speed. The room was filled with groans and grunts, their bodies were made for each other, no one could ever provoke what they felt when they touched, when they kissed or only when they looked at each other.  
  
When they both reached their long-awaited orgasm, Kurt disarmed on top of her, holding himself up with one elbow so as not to fall completely on top of her, Diane had her eyes closed and her breathing was heavy, her arms were wrapped around Kurt's waist, like If she didn't want to let it go.  
  
"You're wonderful Kurt ..." Diane muttered opening her eyes for the first time and showing a tired smile.  
  
Kurt smiled. "You are, Diane ..." he murmured in the same way and placed a tender short kiss on her lips. "Come ... Let's go to bed, you look very tired ..." he said and took her in his arms and leading her to the bedroom.  
  
  
\-----------------------  
  
  
4 a.m. Diane woke up to the disturbing sound of her own cell phone ringing on the small table beside her bed. She tried to get rid of Kurt's arms so she could take the cell phone, although he did not wake up even for a second.  
  
When Diane managed to put Kurt aside, she took the cell phone and frowned when she saw the name on the screen. She answered the call of her best friend without hesitating and took the cell phone to her ear.  
  
"Will? Whatʼs going on? It's four o'clock in the morning... "she asked, whispering so as not to wake the man sleeping beside her. She remembered Will's previous unexpected call and frowned even more. "Did something happen with a client?" She insisted.  
  
"Diane... I'm sorry if I woke you up, I don't call you for work... It's Martha..." Will said before Diane interrupted him. Will's voice was calm, although Diane, hearing her daughter's name, did not notice that detail.  
  
"Martha? What happened to Martha? It's okay? Will, do not scare me! "Her voice was no longer calm, she was speaking in a high tone, so much that Kurt had already woken up and was looking at her strangely.


	12. "Slap"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi girls, I'm back soon by luck!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter although it is now where things start to get a little complicated ... I hope you don't hate me too much!
> 
> I will be reading your comments and thank you very much for following this story! It really means a lot to me!

“Calm down, Diane… Martha is fine. She called me to go and pick up for her at a bar, itʼs just that she was more drunk than I expected... I called you because I don't know where you are and I didn't want you to worry about her... ”Will said trying to get Diane to calm down. He really didn't know where Diane was, although he had some idea where she might be, he thought that when he got to her apartment he would find Diane sleeping in her bed, but when he got there and didn't find her, Will thought that staying in case Martha needed something was the best option.  
  
Diane exhaled audibly. “Oh my god Will! You almost killed me! ”Diane mentioned much more calmly. “Are you telling me that Martha was drunk in a bar? How can this young woman be 25 years? I will go to the apartment now and- "   
  
"You won't come here alone at this time, Diane," Will said, interrupting Diane over the phone. "If you're where I think you are, it's too far away for you to drive from right now."  
  
Diane blushed thinking that Will could imagine her in Kurt's house, although she didn't have to, since Will knew the whole story. But she had never told him about any of her relationships, Diane was too serious on that subject and always tried to keep it private until she believed it could become something serious, and this had never happened in all the years they had been friends.  
  
"Okay... I won't go to Chicago now," Diane whispered, sighing in surrender. "But promise me you'll call me if Martha needs something or something happens."  
  
Diane heard Will laughing through the phone. "Oh please, Diane! The girl is drunk, not sick, it will pass after some sleep," Will exclaimed in a funny voice. "Don't worry, see you tomorrow, partner. I'll stay here with her and take care of her tonight."  
  
"What would I do without you?" Diane asked smiling. "I owe you a great favor..."  
  
"Quiet, I'll take it," Will said, laughing out loud. "Now Iʼll let you stay wrapped in the arms of your Romeo... We'll talk tomorrow."  
  
And before Diane had time to protest, Will cut the call and left her with the words in her mouth. She rolled her eyes, left the phone on her bedside table and then turned around and found two green eyes looking at her intrigued with a frown.  
  
"Did something serious happen?" Kurt asked, before she smiled and looked at him with funny eyes. After seeing her reaction, he relaxed remarkably.  
  
Diane shook her head. "It was Will, Martha went out to celebrate with her friends, she drank too much and called him to pick her up..." she explained with a shrug. "She's 25 years old and still has the same attitudes she had when she was 15..." Diane murmured.  
  
Kurt smiled and shook his head slowly. "Diane... Martha is young, and she hasn't committed anything so serious either. We weren't any saints and we also made our mistakes... Or don't you remember?" he asked, sliding a hand over Diane's back and drawing her to him while he lay on the back of the bed.  
  
"Ugh! I would like to forget it!" she exclaimed as she slid a hand down Kurt's bare chest. "I think the years I spent with you were the craziest of my life..." she reflected in a whisper as she settled into his hug and closed her eyes.  
  
"We were very happy together..." he muttered, bending down to kiss her hair.  
  
Kurt slowly stroked Diane's back while he couldn't stop thinking about something Diane had said. Martha was 25 years old and, although he did not know when her birthday was, it was very likely that Diane had conceived her near the date they both split up. _Was that or..._ He quickly removed that strange idea from his mind, even if the possibilities existed, he knew that she could never hide something like that from him so many years... Or could she?  
  
"Diane?" he asked after a long silence. "I must ask you something..." but when he turned to see her, she was quietly asleep in his arms.   
  
He watched her for a moment and smiled, he felt so lucky that, after so many years, he was there with Diane and they were able to be together again. Kurt decided not to wake her up and, on the contrary, he settled down to imitate her quiet dream. He could ask her anything in the morning.   
  
  
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The next morning, Diane asked Kurt if he could take her to her apartment, although she felt very bad about having to leave so soon. They had promised themselves a weekend together, but she needed to see that her daughter was fine, and she didn't want Will to stay much longer. Of course Kurt understood her concern and suggested taking her to the apartment, he would wait while she checked that everything was fine and then they could spend the day together.  
  
"Do you really want to witness a fight with my daughter? Are you sure?" Diane sounded really amazed and funny. "You do love me ..." After saying those words she regretted the second after she said them, she opened her eyes wide and turned to see Kurt very flushed, he was driving to the city and didn't seem to have worried about her last words.  
  
"I don't want to be anywhere else," Kurt said without looking at her. "I would do anything to spend the day with you..." and then he turned to feel her gaze on him. "Why do you look at me like that?" he asked with a frown.  
  
"Nothing, nothing..." Diane murmured looking straight ahead.  
  
Kurt smiled at her answer and shook his head. "This is about what you said earlier, isn't it? ... You didn't say anything that isn't true, Diane," he said as if he could read her thoughts. "Besides, I like knowing that you have clear in your mind that I love you," Kurt said sincerely and laughing after seeing Diane's expression upon his words. "Stop overthinking everything, honey," Kurt said and gave her a tender look before putting his eyes back on the road.  
  
Diane looked at him a long time before turning to look out of the window on his side. Why was she so ashamed of his words? That man had already shown her that he still loved her, he even had told her several times, but she felt she didn't deserve his love. She believed it was something too big for a person like her, for a liar like her. And her mind always led her to the same mystery: How long would she bear to look him in the eye and not telling him the truth? Sometimes she thought she could do it at any moment, get rid of that weight even if it cost her the relationship with him and the love he feels for her. But she always ended up leaving that idea aside for the same reason, she didn't know if she could bear losing him again. Although this was too selfish and she hated herself for being it.  
  
When they arrived to the apartment, Diane got off the truck first and then Kurt went to look for a place to park his truck. She took a deep breath three times before opening the door. It was nine in the morning, and inside the apartment there were no signs that anyone was awake. She left her wallet and coat in the closet and walked slowly, trying not to make any noise, to the living room where she found Will sleeping very relaxed in the big chair, she smiled to herself when she saw him in that situation, he would definitely wake up very sore from sleeping there. Diane should have told him to take her bed when they spoke on the phone, even though it was four in the morning and it was impossible for her brain to process all that information correctly and that idea came up.  
  
After looking at her partner for a few minutes, thinking about how grateful she was with him for everything he was doing for her daughter and how she couldn't wake him up, Diane went up to Martha's room. The door was open, her daughter was sleeping with the clothes she worn that night, Will hadnʼt dared to undress her, it had already been too much that he had to take her to the apartment in that state.  
  
Diane sat on the edge of Martha's bed and watched her a few minutes before waking her up.  
  
"Martha? Wake up," Diane whispered as she moved her shoulder impatiently. "Honey, wake up we have to talk."  
  
Martha moved protesting instead, she spoke unspeakable words and continued sleeping.  
  
"Oh for the love of God! Get up at once!" Diane exclaimed, already in a much louder tone. She got up from the end of the bed and removed all the blankets that were on top of Martha.  
  
Martha, without understanding very well what was going on, shouted in protest and opened her eyes slowly, trying to adapt to the light in the room. Once awake, she looked at her mother, who looked at her with a very angry expression, and the memories returned to her mind.  
  
She put her hands to her eyes and tried to rub them so she could wake up completely. "Mom... I can explain..." Martha tried to defend herself uselessly. Her mother had loaded weapons and was willing to shoot her out.  
  
"Are you going to explain to me what you were doing at 4 in the morning alone and drunk in a bar? Why did you call Will to pick you up? Are you 16 years old, Martha!? For God's sake!" Diane sounded really angry, and this made Martha's eyes fill with tears.  
  
"Don't shout... My head hurts..." Martha said in a whisper. "I just went out to celebrate my graduation with some friends... What's wrong with that?"   
  
"It wouldn't be bad if you behaved like a woman according to your age." in saying this, she remembered what Kurt had said a few hours ago and could not help smiling, she had not behaved too correctly at Martha's age, and it was true that with Kurt they had done worse things...  
  
Martha widened her eyes when she saw her mother laugh. "If you smile that way is it because I saved myself?" Martha asked very slowly, pulling her out of her thoughts.  
  
Diane looked into her eyes and shook her head from side to side. "You didn't save yourself, I'm still mad at you. But that's fine, I think it wouldn't be very fair if I scream to you for something that at some point I also did..."  
  
Martha's jaw dropped and her eyes widened even more. "Wait... You? The most perfect and correct woman in the world? I can't believe it!" Martha sounded really surprised and funny, her mother had always been very straight, specially with her, sometimes Martha asked if she had ever had fun...  
  
Diane smiled and pretended to be angry at her daughter's comment. "Oh please! I was also young once, Martha!" Seeing how Martha's eyes widened, she couldn't help letting out a laugh. "Now get dressed, I'll make you breakfast and give you something for the headache."  
  
  
\---------------------------  
  
  
When they both went down the stairs they met Will and Kurt preparing breakfast in the kitchen, Diane was surprised to find the two men talking very kindly and funny, they were like two pieces of her puzzle that she had never tried to join but incredibly they both seemed to work well together. Upon entering the kitchen, Will smiled at Diane and winked at her, she simply smiled and muttered a "thank you" under her breath.  
  
"How did you wake up, drunk girl?" Will asked Martha amusedly.  
  
"It could have dawned better if my mother didn't find out about all this," Martha replied, feigning anger. "You have betrayed me, Uncle Will"  
  
Will laughed loudly. "In my defense I will say that I am much more afraid of your mother's anger than yours, Martha," Will said, turning his eyes to Diane, who simply let out a laugh and moved her head from side to side.  
  
Martha frowned and gave an evil smile. “Are you going to tell me that you prefer my mother before me? I am your favorite niece…”  
  
"Oh no, you two are not going to get me into this mess " Will replied laughing, while helping Kurt finish the breakfast for the four of them.  
  
“Apart from that… Will is my friend and you are a girl who apparently still has to be educated. How do you want me to hide something? ”Diane said simply.  
  
"It's not fair! I'm not a girl!” Martha protested, crossing her arms.  
  
Diane nodded, looking her daughter in the eye. "If they still have to go find you at bars because you're drunk, let me tell you that you're still a child" Diane was losing the fun in her words, she was really upset about the attitudes of a girl her daughter still had.  
  
Martha widened her eyes and frowned. "You admitted that you did these things when you were young, why do you bother so much now?" She asked in a louder voice, clearly the fun had been put aside in this conversation...  
  
“Don't compare to me, Martha! I didn't educate you to do this kind of little girl stuff” Diane shouted, staring at Martha, forgetting about the two men who were in the room watching the situation without knowing how to react.  
  
"You just didn't educate me well enough!"   
  
Diane frowned and became even more angry. "What are you trying to tell me, Martha?"   
  
“That if I had a father in my life, I would definitely be a better person today. But no, you became decided to move my father away from my life and now you complain about how I am, but you educated me on your own so you are the one to blame for me being the way I am, mom, ”Martha shouted without thinking twice about what she was saying or the consequences that this would have.  
  
Diane's pulse was through the clouds, her eyes were watery and wide open. She also didn't think twice what she was doing, she wouldnʼt have done it if she had thought about it for two seconds. Without letting a minute of her daughter's last word pass, Diane raised her hand and slapped Martha.


	13. "Mistakes"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I was going to upload this chapter over the weekend, but then I remembered the intrigue I had left them and decided to upload it today... I am a very good person!
> 
> I hope you really like it, and thank you very much for all your beautiful comments! I am really very happy that you are liking this!

Time seemed to have stopped for a few moments, Martha's teary eyes widened in her motherʼs direction, expressing so many negative feelings at once, she looked at her daughter and then at her own hand without being able to believe what she had just done. Diane had never hit Martha in her life, although Martha had never tried to hurt her mother talking about a subject as sensitive as her supposed father, they had talked about it, but Martha had never used it to hurt Dianeʼs feelings. Although perhaps it was true that Diane was a little susceptible to the subject and was carried away by everything that came into her mind for several weeks.  
  
The silence after Diane's sudden act became an awkward silence. Will and Kurt looked at each other without knowing what to do and much less what to say, they didnʼt have to break the silence and try to resolve the situation but they could not help feeling uncomfortable, Will even more because it was he who brought up the issue of the conversation trying to make fun of Martha.  
  
Martha was the one who broke the silence, although, if they had known that she was going to say this, everyone would have preferred to remain in the awkward silence. A simple and quiet "I hate you" came out of Martha's mouth in a whisper and then she ran to her room and slammed her door shut.  
  
After hearing those words from her daughter, Diane didn't know how to react, she just stood there for a few seconds, her eyes wide open. When Martha was a teenager, she had never been one of those young rebels who wanted to take the world ahead, she had always been very polite and respectful with her mother and those around her, she had been an exemplary student in school, many of her professors had assured her that she was a great person and that she would be successful in everything she achieved and this filled Diane with pride.  
  
"Martha..." Diane said in a low voice and then put both hands on her face and burst into tears.  
  
They had never argued that way, although they both had had small fights for some stupidities when Martha was even younger, it had never been this way. Diane was increasingly frustrated, she felt that she was doing things so badly that she could no longer fix them. She would never have imagined that Martha's father's identity was a wound still opened for her daughter, even if they hadn't talked much about it over the years.  
  
The first to approach Diane was Kurt, he wrapped her in his arms and she buried her head in his neck without being able to say a word, just listening to her little sobs.  
  
"Will you let me go talk to her?" Kurt asked into Diane's ear, after hugging her for a few minutes and being able to notice that Diane was calming down a bit.  
  
Diane raised her head a little and looked into his eyes. "Are you sure? I don't want to get you into this, Kurt… ”she murmured slowly, her voice was small and choppy. "Martha is very stubborn and I don't know how she will treat you..."  
  
Kurt shook his head slowly. "Don't worry about that, I just want to help..." he replied, very sure of himself, and gave her a tender kiss on the forehead. "I'll be right back," he said and left the kitchen walking toward the stairs that led to Martha's room.  
  
Diane sighed audibly, she tried to clear the tears from her face and looked at Will, who was leaning on the kitchen island and looking at her with worried eyes. "I'm fine, Will... It's just that... I don't know... She never told me anything like that..."  
  
Will frowned and approached her to wrap her in a hug. "I think she didn't mean what she said, Diane... She was angry and it came out with something she knows would hurt you."  
  
"But right now..." Diane murmured looking at her friend's green eyes. "I mean, I've never reproached myself for this before ... And it comes to do it when it's the thing that is in my mind all day..."  
  
Will shook his head both ways. "That's just a coincidence... You haven't argued much with Martha in all these years, maybe she has felt attacked when you messed with her actions as an adult and this made her want to hurt you in some way..." Will tried to offer Diane a way out of her thoughts, he knew she was now wondering if Martha knew the whole truth because she had ever heard her talking to Will.  
  
"Do you think she knows?" Diane's voice was barely a whisper, and if the house hadn't been found in absolute silence, probably Will wouldn't have heard it.  
  
"I think we have no reason to believe that she do know something, not even suspect it, I think."  
  
Diane looked into his eyes for a moment, then looked down and placed both hands on her own face sighing again. "I don't know what I'm going to do, Will," and as she lifted her head and saw Will's frown, she continued. "They will hate me when they find out the truth..."  
  
Will frowned. "I thought you were never going to tell her..."  
  
Diane shrugged her shoulders, as tears gathered back in her eyes. "I don't know... Is that... Will I be able to live all my life like this?"  
  
"Do you picture Kurt in the rest of your life?" Asked Will, surprised, this made Diane smile.  
  
She had to think for a moment about the answer to Will's question. "I don't know... I want to believe that if... I mean, we were many years away from each other and I think neither of us could forget the other..." Diane's smile slowly erased from her face.  
  
"But..." Will encouraged her to continue.  
  
"But I don't think our relationship will survive just with love, Will... A lot of things happened..."  
  
Will clenched his lips and reflected for a moment. “I think that if you don't talk about everything that happened in the past, it's going to be difficult for your relationship to continue… These are things that show up in a relationship, sooner or later. And maybe, if you speak early, you can solve them and move forward without all this mess involved... Do I explain myself?”  
  
Diane looked at him and nodded. She approached him and hugged him tightly. She was so grateful to have Will, he was her best friend, her soul brother, and, if there was one person she could trust, it was him. He had shown her that he would be by her side whenever she needed him, from going to look for her daughter to a bar because she was drunk, to advise her on one of the biggest decisions of her life. This man was like gold in her life, and she would give anything for not losing him.  
  
"Ay Diane..." Will continued, slowly stroking her hair, seeing that she had stagnated in her thoughts again. "I don't know what you will do with all this... But I know it will be the right decision, because you are a strong woman who knows how to fix her mistakes..."  
  
Diane smiled on his shoulder. "I wish I was as confident as you are of myself..."  
  
  
\-----------------------------  
  
  
As soon as she closed the door of her room she threw herself on her bed and cried. Her mother had no right to reproach her for the kind of woman she was, if there was something wrong with her it was due to the lack of a father in her life. She had never argued like that with her mother, they had had their differences when she was younger than now, but they had always managed to solve them by talking and listening to each other. But this time it was different. This time Martha felt the need of claiming for her father, something she had never felt in all her life. Diane made sure she never needed him, she was always mother and father at the same time and made Martha not feel the need of a father. But now, with all the events that were happening in her life, maybe it would be good to be able to count on a father's hug, “being daddy's girl” only once. The only male presence she had in her life was Will, and he came into her life when she was already a teenager, before that she had never counted on it and she simply didnʼt care, her mother was absolutely everything and for her that was fine. Did she have the right to claim something from her mother? It wasnʼt fair what she had done to her. Diane was a perfectionist, and maybe she couldn't accept that her daughter has made a mistake that young idiots who just want to have fun make. She couldn't imagine the damage she had done to Diane... God, she had to apologize to her now!  
  
Two knocks at her door startled her, forcing her to put aside her thoughts. She sat on her bed, wiped the tears with her hands and adjusted her voice.  
  
"Yes?" She asked in the most correct voice she could have given the circumstances.  
  
"Martha, I'm Kurt... I just want to talk to you..." the voice on the other side of the door sped up her pulse. _Kurt wanted to talk to her? Had her mother sent him not to show her face?_ She quickly removed that last day idea from her head, Diane was not the type of person who didn't solve her problems on her own, having to send intermediaries.  
  
Martha ran her hands over her face, trying to remove her tears. "Yes... Come in, Kurt..."  
  
Kurt entered the room slowly and closed the door behind him, quickly he looked at his shoes without knowing how to continue. He felt he should do this, but he had no idea how to do it. He was not used to dealing with young people, although he had two almost adult nephews, he had never had to deal with important talks with them, he had always been the uncle who carries huge gifts and aware of all the whims.  
  
Martha took pity on this, looked at him a moment before smiling to herself and thinking how was it when he argued with her mother, surely she won the argument because of his lack of words. She hit the tip of her bed with an open hand, inviting him to sit down. "Come, I don't bite like my mother..."  
  
Kurt chuckled at her comment and immediately accepted her suggestion to sit on the bed. He looked at his hands for a few seconds before raising his head and directing his gaze to Martha, who, to his surprise, looked at him expectantly. "You must ask yourself what I am doing here..." when Martha nodded slowly, he continued. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay... I mean, you fought very hard with your mother and you went a little..." His voice went out without knowing how to continue the sentence.  
  
“A little daughter of a bitch you mean…” she added completing his sentence. Martha had to start a sarcastic laugh when she saw Kurt's eyes widen. "Calm down, I'm sure that was wrong..."  
  
Kurt nodded slowly and looked away again from Martha's eyes, placing them on the roomʼs floor. “Although I didn't know Diane as a mother, she is one of the people i know best in the world. And if she acts as a mother as she does in the rest of the things in life, you have an incredible mother…”  
  
Martha nodded and smiled at Kurt, she knew the kind of mother she had. "It was a mistake to have mentioned my absent father... She did and does a great job as a mother, you know?" Kurt nodded without saying anything, encouraging her to keep talking. “I never felt abandoned by my father, and she has a lot of responsibility for that… I mean, she could have remarked to me since I was little that my father was a bastard who had abandoned us, but she never did, on the contrary, she never even mentioned his name… He was not part of my life and it was fine just like that, we didn't need him… ”  
  
A small silence formed in the room until Kurt spoke after reflecting on Martha's words. "I thought you didn't know what happened to your father..." Kurt mentioned.  
  
Martha shook her head. “I don't really know, I never knew what happened to him… I have theories of what could have happened… But I think he abandoned us, because I don't think my mother would not have allowed me to see him if I didn't have a very big grudge towards him…”  
  
Silence. Long silence. They both thought of the last words Martha had said. Kurt knew that she had been conceived very shortly after his breakup with Diane and, although he did not know the exact date, he came to the theory that he was surely a man with whom Diane lay, trying to forget him and, when she discovered she was pregnant, she never saw him again. It was a theory that Kurt had, although he was not encouraged to ask Diane about that time in their lives.  
  
"You know..." it was Kurt who broke the silence. "I would have liked to have a daughter... I mean, I would have spoiled her a lot..."  
  
Martha smiled at Kurt's statement and leaned down to put a hand on his shoulder. "I bet she would have been very spoiled for you..."  
  
Another silence took hold of Martha's room again, although it was not as intense as the previous one, it was a bit awkward. Martha barely knew Kurt and she already felt a strange connection with him, she felt the need of telling him all about her life because he would understand her. She blamed it on how quiet Kurt was and, for this, he was very good at listening to others.  
  
“You have to talk to your mother, Martha. I think she really was very hurt with what you said…” Kurt muttered slowly.  
  
Martha nodded slowly. "I will do it, I promise…"  
  
Then Martha hugged Kurt. It was sudden and, the second after she did it, Martha already felt it was a serious mistake. But, after the surprise of the moment, Kurt also wrapped Martha in his arms. They both remained a few minutes like that, they didn't feel the need of letting go.  
  
Martha whispered a “thank you” in his shoulder. Kurt couldn't help smiling broadly at the young woman's thanks. Now he felt he had another reason to make relationship with Diane work. He might not have children, but if they let him, he wanted to be able to love this young woman like his daughter.


	14. "Nothing is so easy"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello beautiful girls!
> 
> I just want to tell you a few things before letting them enjoy this new chapter:  
> First I wanted to thank you for all the love you are giving to this story, you really do not know how happy you make me with all your comments and your kudos, they are really adorable people!  
> Second, I wanted to clarify that maybe some of Diane's actions are not so typical of the character created by the writers of TGW/TGF, we really don't know Diane in a more private environment, so much of this is typical of my imagination, hope you like!  
> And third, I wanted to ask for your patience, I understand that you are waiting for Kurt and Martha to know that they are father and daughter, but you must wait a little longer, I promise you that it is worth it, I have written more than 35 chapters and I am approaching the end, I promise that It is worth the wait as it will be an epic moment.
> 
> I must clarify that in this chapter there is a small reference to the 2x04 chapter of TGF, it is very small but you will understand why I put it there.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter and I will be attentive to your beautiful comments!

The weeks before Martha's graduation passed quite quickly for Diane. After the argument she had had with her daughter, things had been a bit weird between them, Martha apologized and obviously Diane forgave her, they hugged each other and everything went back to normal. Martha had to return to New York a week before graduation to fix some things there, so Diane promised that she would see her there, along with Kurt and Will, on graduation day.  
  
But for Diane something had broken between her and her daughter the day of the discussion, if the subject of Martha's father occupied a little of her mind before the discussion, now she could not stop thinking about that, and she wasnʼt even focusing on work, when before that work had been a great distraction for her from that subject. Diane had to tell them the truth, as soon as possible.  
  
But how? She knew she would lose both of them when this happened, she couldn't lose them. She had never been more than a week without talking to her daughter, she could not bear the idea that Martha did not want to see her or talk to her, and with Kurt, she had experienced what life without him was and did not want to go back to that . They were good, honestly they were really good together. In those months with him she had learned to appreciate him more than in 3 years of relationship when they were young, Kurt had shown he was really sorry for the past and she had too. Even though it was not her fault, Diane had taken responsibility for not hearing Kurt's explanation and instead running away and disappearing from his life forever. She knew that Kurt had looked for her, many people had to lie for her when he approached them desperately asking about her location. Would she bear that man's contempt when he knows the truth?  
  
 _No matter what, Diane_ , said a voice in her mind. _You must tell them the truth even if it costs you your life._ She was convinced of that and she would tell them the truth when she managed to find the courage to do it.  
  
It was late, maybe more than 8 pm, and Diane was alone in her office. She had tried to work on a case all day, but at that time, she had given up. With a glass of bourbon in her right hand, while with her left hand she held her head trying to give a solution to this issue before going insane about it. _If she hadn't done it already...  
  
_ "After graduation," she muttered to herself. Maybe if she set a deadline she could confess all this once and for all.  
  
  
 _\------------------------  
  
  
_ The graduation would take place in an event hall in the heart of New York. Diane, Kurt and Will had travelled together the day before and they would stay in a luxurious hotel just a few blocks from the venue where the event would be held.  
  
Diane went through the worst flight of her life and felt very relieved when they landed, she felt nauseous several times and several dizziness. Kurt never let go of her hand trying to reassure her a little. He was quite worried, he had never seen her so broken in all the 3 years of their relationship, but he was willing to do anything to make her feel better, and she felt grateful to have him at that time.  
  
When Kurt left her alone for a minute to go to the bathroom, Will pulled off his seat belt, got up from his seat and placed himself beside her, looking at her with a frown.  
  
“What's up, Diane? I have never seen you like this on such a short flight and we have travelled to several places together.”  
  
Diane shrugged. "I don't know... I have a mixture of strange feelings... There are too many things that my mind thinks about, and somewhere I have to put off so much tension, I guess..." Diane whispered, in one hand she held a bag in case the nausea became uncontrollable and with the other she massaged her temple trying to calm the dizziness she had and the irritable headache that was forming.   
  
"You need to calm down... It's going to give you a nervous breakdown if you don't calm down, Diane." Will sounded really worried, he had never seen his partner like that, so weak and frustrated. Diane was one of the strongest people he knew. But, even the ice queen has, deep down, a heart that can be hurt.  
  
Diane simply gave him a tired smile and closed her eyes again trying to keep her breakfast inside her. Will was right, she had to calm down urgently, but she had also tried a thousand things to achieve it and nothing achieved a victorious result.  
  
"Will..." Diane said opening her eyes and checking that her partner was at her side, when she met Will's eyes looking at her waiting for her to continue talking, she continued. "After Martha's graduation ceremony I will tell them the truth..."  
  
Will widened his eyes and, before he could at least process Diane's words, Kurt returned to his seat frowning when he found Will sitting there.  
  
"Is everything alright?" Kurt asked, looking mainly at Diane. Who nodded slowly and then smiled.  
  
"I'm fine, honey... Will just came over to check that I was fine..." she said in the most convincing voice that came out under the circumstances. Will simply nodded and got up to head back to his seat. Kurt watched him for a moment not too convinced of what Diane was telling him, although he decided to put that aside for the moment, she already had too much discomfort for him to add one more.  
  
They arrived at the New York airport an hour after that. For Diane's benefit, she hadn't left the contents of her stomach on that plane. Their discomfort seemed to disappear as they crossed the airport in search of the exit. The three of them took a taxi and headed to the hotel where they had their respective rooms reserved. Martha would be waiting for them there to go to have lunch together, she was very excited because Will and Kurt had been able to travel for their big day, the two men were important in her life and she wanted them to be there in that moment.   
  
Upon reaching the doors of the hotel they found Martha greeting them with both of her arms up and a huge smile on her face. She greeted both men with a big hug and many words of affection. But when Martha saw her mother, her broad smile quickly evaporated when she saw her so pale and tired.  
  
"Mother? Do you feel good?” Martha asked as she wrapped her mother in a strong hug.   
  
Diane nodded without saying a word, the tears that had formed in her eyes forbade her to speak. Kurt could tell this and offered to speak for her.  
  
"Your mother had a difficult flight... And I think she has a mixture of emotions with everything that is going on..." he smiled when he saw Diane's grateful look for taking the word for her.  
  
Martha nodded slowly. "Ah... Sure... But are you really okay, mom?" Martha sounded very worried as she took her mother by the shoulders to break the hug and look into her eyes.  
  
"I'm fine, honey... Just tired..." Diane replied in her barely audible voice as she cleared the tears from her face with her hands.  
  
Will appeared from inside the hotel and frowned when he saw Diane's tears, although he already knew where the matter might come from. “What's going on here? Let's go! I already checked in and we can accommodate before losing lunch reservations…”  
  
After settling in their rooms, the three went down to go to have lunch with Martha at the restaurant where she had made reservations herself, ensuring that it was one of the best places in all of New York. Kurt had asked Diane countless times if she was completely sure that she was able to go to lunch outside, he cared about her health, except that she was not a person who tended to have this kind of discomfort in her life every day, Diane had answered him yes countless times, although it irritated her to be asked exactly the same thing so many times, she felt tender that Kurt cared for her so much. _Enjoy it while you can, it will disappear in a bit..._ said a voice in her mind that she tried to erase immediately. She couldn't keep letting her mind ruin this moment in her daughter's life.  
  
Lunch passed normally. Martha told them about the ceremony, about how excited and nervous she felt about it and how happy she was about “her whole family,” and remarking this last sentence, being there for her. Above all, Diane and Will have been able to leave the firm in charge of David Lee and Julius without both destroying each other. Martha knew both of them since she was a child, and she knew about the mutual feeling of hate between them. But somehow, the couple of partners and best friends had managed to convince them to behave properly for a whole weekend. The four laughed when Will and Diane shared anecdotes of their years working with that great fight between the two men.   
  
On the main course, the conversation turned to Diane. The three of them looked at her with concern when she was not touching her plate, she had only taken the fork and moved a piece of her vegetables from one side to the other staring at them. After a while focusing on this, she realized that the conversation had stopped and lifted her head to meet three looks that were looking at her with concern.   
  
"Is something wrong?" Diane asked just whispering her words.  
  
"You're not eating" Kurt replied firmly. Diane was already thin enough to give herself the privilege of not eating, this was one of her main topics of discussion since they were young.  
  
"I'm not hungry... I'm sorry..." she said with a shrug. "I still have a bit of a stomach upset from the flight..."  
  
"Mother..." Martha murmured, making Diane's gaze focus on hers. "You must eat... Surely you did not eat breakfast properly" she knew her, Diane had got up early to finish preparing her things for the trip and had only been able to have a coffee with a few toasts. Leaving aside the voluptuous breakfast that Kurt had made her.  
  
“Do not feel sorry for me. I'm really fine, when I'm hungry I'll eat, don't harass me, please” Diane joked and smiled when she saw Kurt move his head to both sides.  
  
  
\-----------------------------  
  
  
At night, the four of them were separated. Martha met with her university classmates and friends to celebrate, and Will took advantage of his stay in New York to have dinner with friends who had lived there for years. This left Kurt and Diane completely alone and without plans. She had offered that they could go see some theater play and then go to have dinner somewhere fancy. But Kurt did not let her forget her the discomfort she had felt all day, so he preferred to order room service and watch one of the melodramatic films that she liked so much. First she protested, but then, she understood that she was not going to win this fight, she ended up getting carried away by the plans her beloved man had organized. He just wanted to take care of her, she had to learn to let him do it.  
  
When Kurt went into the bathroom to take a shower while they waited for food to arrive, Diane tried to concentrate on television for a moment. But finding nothing good to see, she turned it off and let her mind wander again as she was used to do it many months ago. She couldn't help thinking about how much Kurt was going to hate her when he knew the truth, she would lose him forever and couldn't do anything about it, that would be the end of their relationship. Tears clouded her sight and her sobs were the only thing she heard, she didn't want to lose him, she couldn't lose him. But she couldn't take that situation anymore, she needed to tell the truth, but this would drive her crazy or, worse, kill her.   
  
She was so in pain that she didn't hear the bathroom door open. She noticed that Kurt had left when he wrapped her in his arms from behind and began to leave small kisses on Diane's neck. She turned to hug him as hard as she could, as if her life depended on it, as if it was the last hug of her life.  
  
"I'm sorry..." she whispered in his neck between sobs. "I'm so sorry, Kurt..." she repeated it countless times.  
  
“Sorry for what, Diane? I don't understand you, honey…” he said confused as he slowly stroked her hair trying to calm her down even a little.  
  
"I'm afraid that if I tell you..." she stopped to try to clear her throat. "You will never want to see me again..."  
  
He smiled at how ridiculous that sounded. "That's impossible, Diane..."   
  
"It isn't... You don't know..." she said crying louder in Kurt's arms.   
  
"What do I not know, Diane?" He asked simply, he would do anything to calmed her down so she could stop crying.  
  
It was her moment. The perfect moment. She had to tell him the truth. He must know that he was Martha's father. She owed him. She couldn't hide it anymore. She got away a little from him so she could look at him in the eye, but they were still so close that they could feel each other's breath.  
  
"I... I..." she murmured trying to sort the ideas in her mind and being able to formulate the correct phrase. "I pulled out your shirt to accommodate other things and forgot to put it back in the suitcase before leaving your home to go to the airport..." Diane murmured quickly. She surprised herself at what she had just said, it was the stupidest excuse she had ever thought of in her life, but it seemed that the man who held her in his arms was naive enough, or loved her too much, because he believed what she had just said, he hugged her harder and grinned at how stupid that sounded.  
  
Kurt looked at her for a moment and then smiled without understanding too much what was happening. "And what's wrong with that? We can go buy a shirt here... It's okay, honey..."  
  
Again. She had failed again. Diane sighed audibly and nodded her head to hug him tightly and avoid crying again. Confessing the biggest mistake of her life was going to be harder than she thought.


	15. "The happiest day"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi girls! I'm back! I am very sorry to delay this chapter so much, luckily my exams have passed and I can devote some time to this!
> 
> I will try to upload the next chapter these days, I promise that not many days will pass again! I will also try to clarify how many chapters this story will have!
> 
> I will be reading your comments, thank you very much for reading this story!

Kurt wasn't understanding what was happening with Diane, she was getting weirder and he couldn't understand why. At first he thought it was the nerves and excitement of seeing her only daughter graduate from college. According to what he knew, Martha had dreamed all her life of being a clothing designer and Diane had always supported her in that dream, so much that she had transformed it into her own. But now that they were hours away from the ceremony, Diane seemed to had left the peace of mind in Chicago.  
  
After the strange conversation they had that night, which certainly baffled Kurt quite a bit, he tried to calm her down not only because of what had just happened, but also because of the nerves she had had all day. They had a quiet dinner in bed, while watching a tender love and drama movie, Diane seemed to be distracted a little from whatever was occupying her mind, although she didn't touch her dinner too much. When she finished eating, Kurt withdrew the trays and extended an arm behind Diane to encourage her to lie on his chest, she smiled and obeyed with a smile. When the movie was over, Kurt leaned down to look at Diane's face and find her completely asleep on his chest, he smiled and tried not to move so she wouldnʼt wake up, she looked really exhausted.  
  
Kurt didn't know what to do to help her, although she didn't let him help her too much either. He noticed her increasingly rare since she had that argument with Martha several weeks ago, that day something broke and Diane began to act increasingly strange even though Martha offered her sincere apologies and Diane accepted them. Something was in her mind that Kurt knew it was not leaving her alone, but he couldn't figure out what that was. He knew that it was something that had to do with Martha's biological father, Diane had never talked to Kurt about him, and he hadn't asked too much because he didnʼt want to go further than Diane allowed him to go. But he couldn't lie to himself, the mystery of who Martha's biological father was had him quite intrigued, and specially since Diane was suffering from it. He had already put aside the idea that he could be the father, he didn't consider Diane a woman who could hide such a secret for so many years. He definitely had to discuss the issue with Diane at some point, at least so that she could let go everything she had inside related to that topic, because obviously it was something that mobilized her a lot.  
  
Although Kurt really believed that Diane's discomfort came more from the nerves of seeing her daughter becoming an adult, ready to face life and be happy. He had no children, but he imagined how difficult it was to let them go. Diane was happy for Martha, he knew that, but deep inside her Diane knew she was losing her little girl, her only daughter, and maybe that's what made her so nervous and distraught.  
  
  
\---------------------------  
  
  
He heard a strange noise that led him to get away from his dream and open his eyes trying to understand what was happening. It didn't take long for Kurt to discover that Diane was not between his in bed. He started looking for her through the hotel room without getting results, he frowned thinking about where she could be until he heard again the same noise that woke him up. Quickly, Kurt lifted the blankets over him and ran to the bathroom to find Diane clinging to the toilet surprisingly emptying the contents of her stomach into it. Kurt said nothing, just knelt beside her, grabbing her hair with one hand and massaging her back with the other one trying to make her discomfort go away.  
  
After managing to recover some air, Diane was the one who broke the silence. "Sorry... Did I wake you up?" Her voice was hoarse and weak, and Kurt shuddered at not hearing the loud, clear voice he was used to.  
  
He shook his head several times. "Don't worry, I want to be here with you... Do you feel better?"  
  
"Yes, I feel a little better... I really don't know what's wrong with me, I'm not the type of person that breaks down so much in such a short time..." Diane mentioned trying to straighten her back against the bathroom tiles.  
  
"It must be the nerves, honey..." Kurt said standing up to get a glass of water for her. "It can't be that something has gone wrong because practically you haven't eaten anything in two days..." he remarked and handed the glass of water to Diane, who accepted it with gratitude, frowning.  
  
"I know... There are too many things..." after noticing Kurt's look prompting her to continue talking, she said. "I promise you that when we return to Chicago and everything slows down a bit, I will tell you everything..."  
  
"Okay... You know you donʼt have to tell me anything you don't want me to know..." he replied and helped her getting up from the floor. Once standing, he placed a hand on her waist and carried her to the bed.  
  
"I know... I don't know what I'm going to do without you..." she whispered as she sat on the bed with him and ran her hand slowly over Kurt's face, as if it were so fragile that it could break into a thousand pieces.  
  
"I hope you never have to find that out, honey..." and he leaned in front of her to give her a soft kiss on the lips.  
  
She smiled and nodded silently. Kurt took her hand and smiled back, she knew there that it would hurt too much when he left her forever after she told him the whole truth.  
  
  
\-----------------------  
  
  
The graduation ceremony was after lunch, that gave Diane and Kurt time to sleep more hours than they were used to, since after Diane's outburst in the bathroom, she had had a hard time falling asleep again and Kurt couldn't fall completely asleep until she did.  
  
After breakfast, Diane began preparing for the ceremony while Kurt was watching her with a smile on his face. She seemed to be much better, the nausea had disappeared along with her sudden dizziness. Now, he saw her very happy preparing for one of the happiest days of her life. Diane was so focused on her hairstyle and her makeup that she didn't notice when Kurt went into the bathroom to get a shower when they were close to leave, she moved from the mirror already made up and combed and noticed that her man was not, smiled at Seeing what time it was and shook her head amused, it was amazing that Kurt's preparations had begun several hours after hers. _All the men were the same, too calm and simple_ , she thought to herself, as she headed to the closet to take the dress Martha had designed for her, which was in a bag that completely covered it. Slowly, she took off her dressing gown, took off her dress from the plastic bag and put it on very delicately, as if it would break into a thousand pieces. What Diane did not notice, was that her man was contemplating all her movements from the bathroom door with just a towel tied at the waist.  
  
"I'm very lucky..." Kurt said, smiling at Diane's shock.  
  
Diane turned to face him and modeled her dress in front of Kurt. "What do you think?"  
  
Kurt approached her, wrapped Diane's small waist in his arms and whispered slowly in her ear. "You are the most beautiful woman I saw in my life..."  
  
"You're exaggerating," Diane said, releasing one of her particular laughs. "But I love you."  
  
"I love you too, my love... You will be the most beautiful mother in the whole room..."  
  
Diane smiled blushing a little and placed a tender kiss on Kurt's lips. "I don't want to break your compliments, Mr. McVeigh... But you should go put on your clothes before itʼs too late."  
  
"Do you really want me to wear my clothes?" Kurt said in a flirtatious tone, while leaving little kisses on Diane's neck.  
  
"Kurt!" She named him rebuking him and pushing him back. "You know I won't resist if you do that again!"  
  
"And who asked you to resist, Mrs. Lockhart?" Kurt asked approaching her again.  
  
"I promise you that tonight we can do anything you want..." Diane proposed as she approached to leave a tender and short kiss on the lips. "But now you must put on your suit, because if we are late they will blame me for being the woman who takes time to get ready."  
  
"If so... It could take me a little longer..." Kurt mentioned amused as he took his suit and headed to the bathroom to get dressed.  
  
"Kurt!" Diane shouted amused as she grabbed a cushion and threw it at him. "Hurry up or I'll get mad!"  
  
Fifteen minutes later, the couple was at the hotel reception waiting for Diane's partner and best friend. Kurt could not stop looking at Diane, she was really beautiful, the dress Martha had designed for the occasion was perfect and she had managed to combine it with a discreet but elegant makeup and perfectly armed golden loops. He loved that woman, more than he had ever loved anyone. But he felt strange, he knew her so much that he knew perfectly when something was wrong with her and, although she hid it very well, he knew that something occupied her thoughts. But if she didn't tell him, he wouldn't ask, the least thing he wanted to do was to intimidate her and not helping her.  
  
"Do you feel good?" Kurt asked, making Diane look at him and smile.  
  
"Yes darling. I'm fine... Nothing is going to stop me from enjoying this day” Diane replied very sure, this was one of the happiest days of her life.  
  
“If you get sick again, you must tell me, right? I don't want anything to happen to you…” Kurt ordered stroking her back gently and then placing his hand on her waist and pulling her closer to him.  
  
“Don't worry so much, cowboy. I'll be fine…” she whispered in his ear, and then leaned down to leave a tender kiss on her cheek. "Thank you for taking care of me so much..."  
  
"It seems to me that you two are a little romantic..." Will said, forcing the couple to look at him, startled. "Iʼve been standing here for five minutes and neither of you noticed my presence."  
  
“You are an exaggeration . You must have just arrived” Diane said, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"Well, I will have arrived three minutes ago" Will corrected, resigned and laughing. "Although you wouldn't have paid me much attention either."  
  
"You envious" she mentioned and leaned down to leave another small kiss on Kurt's cheek. “Now, can we leave? We'll be really late if we keep talking here” she said and grabbed Kurtʼs hand to walk ahead of Will.  
  
"Look who's in a hurry to get there now..." Will said in a loud voice so they could hear. He saw Diane's head turning and stucking out her tongue, Will laughed and run to get by her side.  
  
  
\--------------------------  
  
  
The ceremony had not begun yet when the three of them arrived and sit at their perfectly located seats. Diane had not been able to see Martha in her outfit, they had arrived very much on time and they hadnʼt had time to see each other. By text messages, Diane confirmed to Martha that she was fine and that she was eager to see her when this was over, her daughter had asked her countless times for her health and, although she did not feel completely well, Diane was not going to overshadow the great Daughter's day with her discomforts. Within minutes of their arrival, the graduates began to pass slowly down the hall that led to the stage. Diane began to shed tears when she saw her daughter approaching the hall. The three of them stood up and began to shout at Martha, she smiled enormously and greeted them by waving her hands up.  
  
The rest of the ceremony went normally, after the universityʼs rector speech, the delivery of diplomas began. When Martha Lockhart's name rang through the loudspeakers, the three of them stood up again, clapping and shouting happily. Diane couldn't help crying again, her daughter was graduating, she was a woman opening her life path and Diane couldn't be more proud. Both men noticed her tears and the two raised one of their arms to hug her on each side from behind, she smiled at their touch and murmured a "thank you" very little audible. She was really lucky, she had her daughter, her best friend and the love of her life, this was the happiest moment of her life.  
  
At the end of the ceremony, Martha ran to hug her mother. They both cried and hugged each other tightly, Will and Kurt looked at each other and smiled, it was a beautiful and exciting moment to see.  
  
"I'm so proud of you, honey..." Diane murmured with barely a voice and without releasing her daughter. "You did it, Martha... You're a designer."  
  
"Oh Mother! I couldn't have done it without you… Thank you for always supporting me…” Martha said as excited as her mother, she broke the hug, looked at the woman in front of her eyes and continued. “Since I was a little girl, you cooked me the dresses that I designed for my dolls, you bought me all the fabrics that I could think of and you didn't mind leaving me alone in a big city to fulfill my dreams… You are the best mom in the world and I love you very much…”  
  
Diane simply looked at her and her tears began to fall faster. "I did cared about leaving you here alone... But I was sure you would become everything you wanted to be... Although I must admit that I was scared to leave you here, but I had to put aside my fears for your happiness..." Diane said, and both got together again in a beautiful hug, it was the perfect moment, the best moment of their lives.  
  
After Martha hugged the other two men and they congratulated her on the greatest achievement of her life. Martha said goodbye to her classmates and friends, and the four of them went to have dinner at a fancy restaurant where Will had made a reservation.  
  
Dinner was a lot of fun, and Diane couldn't help thinking that they together were a small family. She and Martha had never had anyone but themselves, in recent times Will had been more present, but recently they had begun to consider him part of the family. Kurt had always been part of this family even if he never knew, _and as things were going he would never know_ , Diane was reminded by a voice in her mind, which immediately disappeared. Every time she looked at Martha with Kurt, she felt dizzy. They really got along very well, they had a kind of connection between that neither understood and that Diane disturbed a little.  
  
When they finished dinner, Martha said goodbye to them at the door of the restaurant, then she went to a bar to celebrate with her classmates. She greeted the three of them with a big hug, but when it was Will's turn he couldn't help saying:  
  
"If you plan to get drunk like the other day, you can call me, I'll have my cell phone on."  
  
But, although it was only a whisper in Martha's ear, Diane came to listen. They both expected a cruel comment from her, but she simply rolled her eyes and smiled, Will and Martha laughed and continued with their hug. Kurt was the only one who believed that reaction was not appropriate in Diane, and he looked at her in bewilderment.  
  
Upon arriving at the hotel, Will paid the taxi while Diane practically ran out of the car and entered the hotel as fast as her high heels allowed her to do.  
  
"What's wrong?" Will asked Kurt when they both got out of the car.  
  
"I don't know... It was a bit weird..." Kurt replied entering the hotel next to Will. "I'll go to the room to see what happens."  
  
"Hey!" Will exclaimed, putting a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "Quiet, it is surely broken again... It will happen to you, this is all quite mobilizing for her..."  
  
Kurt nodded slowly. "Yes... I understand... I just care about her and I would do anything to change her discomfort a little" he mentioned lowering his head.  
  
"Go with her, be with her... It's all you can do..." said Will and hugged the man older than him. "If something happens, you can call me..."  
  
"Thank you, Will ..." Kurt gave him a small smile and headed for his room.  
  
  
\-----------------------  
  
  
Upon entering the room he shared with Diane, he saw only darkness. He turned on the lights and looked for his wife with no results. Maybe she hadn't come back to the room after all. It occurred to Kurt that she could be at the hotel bar drinking something strong. When he was about to leave the room again to follow his instinct, he saw the light on from the bathroom the door a little open. Nothing had prepared him for what he would see. It would never have occurred to him that what was found there could be found. When he opened the door, the first thing he saw was Diane unconscious on the bathroom floor.


	16. "Was nothing"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, my girls! I tried not to make them wait too long for this chapter, I know they must be eager to read it!
> 
> I will only say that as you will see I have managed to complete how many chapters this story will have, although I have not finished writing it completely, I am only missing a couple of chapters to finish.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter, thank you very much for reading!

"Diane!" Kurt shouted, running down to Diane's unconscious body. "Sweetie! Can you hear me?"  
  
He was desperate, tapping Diane's face gently trying to wake her up, but it was useless. She did not move. Kurt bent his knees and took Diane in his arms very carefully so he wouldnʼt hurt her or bang her body against any object in the bathroom and then he took her to bed and lay her there.  
  
When he left Diane there, Kurt took her pulse while stroking her pale face with another hand. "Diane, please wake up," he murmured, not knowing what to do to wake her up. A few seconds later, Diane began to wake up.  
  
Diane's eyes slowly opened and then closed, repeating this action several times and trying to get used to the light in the room. When she managed to keep her eyes open, she gave Kurt a tired look, she didnʼt seem to understand what had just happened, at least she could deduce that it was something serious from Kurt's worried eyes. Then she turned her gaze to the ceiling of the room and after that to the entire room. Diane tried to understand what had happened, but her mind seemed to remember nothing of what she had done after having dinner with Martha and arriving at the hotel. She frowned when she couldn't remember anything, she could only remember when she left the taxi and entered the room and then headed to the bathroom because she felt a little dizzy, and after that waking up in the hotel bed with Kurt watching her with extremely worried eyes.  
  
“Diane?”  
  
Kurt's voice made her fall back into reality and put her gaze back on his.  
  
Diane had to cough slightly to accommodate her voice before speaking. "I'm fine, Kurt..." she murmured. "It's just... I don't remember..." although her voice was weaker than she would have wanted. "What happened?"  
  
"Don't you remember anything, honey?" Seeing Diane's head move both ways, Kurt continued speaking. "I don't know what exactly happened to you... When I entered the room I didn't find you, when I saw the light on in the bathroom I went over... You were... You were unconscious, my love... I got scared" Kurt took her hands in his and squeezed them. "I'm going to call the reception to ask them to send a doctor," he said and tried to stand up to take the phone from the room but Diane's strong grip on his hands didn't allow it.  
  
“It's not necessary, Kurt. I'm fine, my dizziness has almost passed…” she mentioned trying to sit more upright in bed.  
  
“It is necessary, Diane. No one faints without a reason, you need to see a doctor and confirm that we should not go to the hospital..."  
  
"I'm not going to a hospital for a simple dizziness, Kurt!" Diane exclaimed practically screaming.   
  
Kurt shook his head several times. “It has not been a simple dizziness, it has been a faint. And I am not going to discuss this with you, it is an already made decision.”  
  
Diane rolled her eyes and put her arms across her chest across them. She hated hospitals, she had always had a kind of fear of getting sick inside them. She had only been hospitalized once, it was for Martha's birth, although it was something she could not avoid, she had only been hospitalized for four days because of her insistence on wanting to run away from there for the sake of herself and her little daughter.  
  
Kurt took the phone that was above the bedside table, next to the bed, and asked reception to send the doctor. When he sat back on the edge of the bed, he started watching her with a smile.  
  
"What are you laughing at so much?" Diane asked reluctantly.  
  
"That you haven't changed at all, Diane..." Seeing the frown of the woman in front of him, Kurt smiled more. "Don't you remember the incident we had in the park?"  
  
  
 _It was an incredibly beautiful spring Sunday. The sun had not stopped shining all afternoon and young couple had taken the opportunity to picnic in the park. Diane had prepared a basket with several sandwiches and fruits for both, apart from drinks and some chocolates. They just needed that, a blanket and their company to be happy, they were so in love that they only cared about being together regardless of the place.  
  
They had been there for hours, they had already had lunch and they were both lying watching the clouds pass by. The breeze barely managed to move their hair a little, the sun was shining brightly in the sky and the clouds were only a few so they could be easily counted.  
  
"You know..." Kurt began, breaking the silence. "I think we could do something to have fun..."  
  
Diane raised an eyebrow playfully. "Don't you have fun watching clouds with me, cowboy?"   
  
“It's been a little over half an hour that we're looking at clouds, Diane. You know I'm not the one who likes cheesy things.”  
  
She laughed and turned to look at him. "Okay... Let's do something you want now."   
  
"I want to go play with my frisbee."  
  
"What?" Diane opened her eyes wide and then began to laugh. "Do you really have a frisbee?"   
  
"I would never lie to you with something like that, Lockhart." He leaned down to grab his backpack, opened it and took out his flying saucer, having it in his hands, he rose from the blanket and stretched out a hand towards Diane. "Are you coming or is it too much for you?"   
  
Diane made a mock astonished face. "Nothing is too much for me, McVeigh," she said and accepted the offer of his hand to get up from the blanket as well. "Let's see what you have for me..."  
  
They were playing like two small children. Diane had forgotten the last time she allowed herself to play as a child, and Kurt loved to see this woman laughing and running around the park. She was not one of those who allowed herself to free her inner child, if any.  
  
_ _In one of the throws, Kurt throws the flying saucer a little off, Diane starts running to grab it before he touches the floor without looking where she was going, just concentrated on the saucer in the air. To her bad luck, a small well got in the way, but it was big enough to make her foot get stuck there and made her fall, without being able to avoid it, to the grass. Kurt, seeing the scene, ran as fast as he could until he reached her side.  
  
"Are you all right?" Kurt was trying not to laugh, the fall had been very funny.  
  
"I think so..." and seeing Kurt's smile finally free herself she frowned. “Do you laugh that your poor girlfriend who has fallen tragically? You're a bad person,” she said, pushing her shoulder gently.  
  
Kurt laughed even more. "Sorry! But I can't help it, it was very funny!”  
  
"It wasn't!" Diane protested as she looked at her boyfriend with mock annoyance. "Could you try to help me get up instead of standing there and laughing at me?"  
_  
 _"Yes, I'm sorry" Kurt's laugh disappeared when he heard Diane's serious tone.  
  
Kurt placed a hand on Diane's waist, she ran a hand over his back and they both helped Diane get up from the grass. When they thought everything had already happened, and Kurt was about to laugh again at the fall, Diane screamed in pain as she tried to support her right foot.  
  
“What happens? Does it hurt? ”Kurt asked worriedly when he saw Diane's expression of pain, while taking Diane by the waist again, trying to lean her on him and not falling again.  
  
"It hurts too much! I do not know what's going on!"  
_  
 _Kurt looked at her with a frown. "I think we should go to a hospital... Maybe you broke your ankle."  
  
Diane looked at him with her eyes wide open while shaking her head several times. "Do not! I don't want to go to the hospital!"  
  
“Come on Diane! At this moment I don't care much about your phobia at hospitals, we will go before this ankle inflames as much as a pumpkin.”  
  
  
_"I hated you so much that day..." Diane muttered laughing, remembering that moment together.  
  
Kurt smiled again. “Only because of the hospital? Or also because I kept laughing at you?”   
  
“Both! You're a bad person, I wasn't having a good time.”  
  
Kurt leaned in front of her to leave a tender kiss on her lips. "It was fun... Although I must admit that I was scared..."  
  
"After hearing my cries of supplication while we entered the hospital guard?" She asked laughing too.  
  
"Sure, you were really scaring me... But you should be grateful that I ignored your whim as a fiveyear-old girl, you had a fractured ankle" he smiled stroking Diane's cheek and placing a lock of her hair behind her ear.  
  
Diane leaned on his touch and closed her eyes. She thought that at least remembering old moments with Kurt took away a little of all the tiredness she felt, she was really exhausted _and the worst part was still missing..._  
  
After a moment, she slowly opened her eyes and looked at Kurt. "I need you to promise me that you will do everything possible not to sent me to the hospital," she murmured slowly.  
  
Kurt's eyes widened as he couldn't help laughing. "Don't worry, honey... I'll try, and you know..."  
  
Before Diane could answer, they both startled to hear someone knocking on the bedroom door. Kurt gave Diane a reassuring smile, and stood up from his place at the edge of the bed to go open to the doctor. But to his surprise, it wasnʼt only the doctor who at the door, but also Will, who was looking at Kurt with a frown without understanding anything that was happening. Kurt told him to wait a moment, while he explained to the doctor what had happened to Diane.  
  
“I need to review you, Mrs. Lockhart. This will take a few minutes,” the doctor said, saying the latter more for Kurt than for Diane.  
  
Kurt nodded and approached Diane to give her a quick kiss. "I'll be outside talking to Will, anything you need just call me, right?"  
  
Diane nodded and gave Kurt a small smile, which vanished completely when she saw that he left the bedroom and she was totally alone with the doctor.   
  
  
\---------------------------  
  
  
Diane's eyes widened when she felt the wheels of the plane on the pavement and immediately lifted her head from Kurt's shoulder to look at him, he gave her a tender smile and squeezed the grip of his hand.  
  
“You woke up… We landed, honey. You feel good?"  
  
Diane nodded and ran her thumb over the grip of her hands. The other night the doctor had told them that fainting was a drastic reduction in her pressure due to stress, it was nothing to worry about, but she had to keep calm. Kurt had taken care of her, he got her to rest and, in the morning, eat a full breakfast, even though Diane refused to eat too much. Will took care of the hotel paperwork and booked a taxi to go to the airport. Diane was so grateful for everything her two men did for her, but mostly she was grateful that neither of them had told Martha about her state of health, Diane didn't want to worry her daughter about this.  
  
Afrer landing, and doing all the corresponding paperwork at the airport, the couple said goodbye to Will. He asked Diane not to go to work that Monday, he preferred that she stay rested after that episode at the hotel. Of course, he didn't ask kindly, he just ordered her not to go to work the next day, Will knew Diane would refuse, and she did, but she couldn't argue with Will and Kurt, who had allied to Will, so she ended up beating herself and agreeing not to go to work that Monday.  
  
In the taxi Diane kept quiet and thoughtful, Kurt was surprised to be the one who tried to bring up a topic of conversation without result. Upon arriving at Diane's apartment, she first entered leaving the door open for Kurt who came behind her with their bags, Diane left her bag on the high table next to the entrance door, took off her jacket and placed it in the closet in front of the table. She felt reluctant, she knew she should talk to Kurt, she had already passed the date she had set to tell him the truth and she should do it as soon as possible.  
  
When Kurt entered the living room looking for Diane, after entering the bags and closing the door, he found her sitting in the armchair with her legs crossed looking at her hands well placed in her lap. Kurt frowned and sat next to her, waiting for his wife to decide to talk about what was happening.  
  
"You know, Kurt..." Diane began slowly. "I think we should talk..."  
  
Kurt looked at her and frowned more, but then shook his head several times. "No, Diane."  
  
Diane raised her head and looked at him with a frown. "Kurt, we really must-"  
  
"No, Diane. We must not speak now…” Seeing her face of discontent, he decided to continue. "The hotel doctor said you should be calm, and you will be even if you don't want to," he explained, running a hand over Diane's cheek. "I know what you want to talk about, but not now, honey."  
  
Diane leaned on his touch and said nothing, Kurt didn't know what they should talk about or what Diane really wanted to say. But she decided not to contradict him, anyway she would get well in a few days and there would be no excuses to talk.


	17. "Fatigue"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi girls! I hope you are very well, and enjoy this chapter very much!
> 
> I will only say that there is a very small reference to chapter 3x01 of The Good Fight, it is a very small reference but you will surely quickly notice that it is there.

"Mr. Peralta, I understand your concerns, but if you let me explain... It's fine, but that's not the way I can advise you to take, remember when... I know I must obey what you ask, but I must also advise you to make the right decision…” she sighed low so that they didn't hear her on the other side of the phone and rolled her eyes. "It's okay sir... I will do what you ask... I will call you when I have the date of the hearing... Yes, you also have a good day."  
  
Diane hung up the phone abruptly and placed her head in her hands, leaning forward. She was so tired and had only spent a quarter of what her work day was, but it wasn't physical fatigue, also her mind was exhausted. This client had driven her crazy all week, the trial was approaching and none of the possible defenses Diane proposed to him seemed right. She hated those clients who did not let her do her work, although the only one harmed was the client for not using the correct option, she became very frustrated when she was not heard, a voice deep inside her wanted to scream: _I am the lawyer here! I am the one who knows! So you shut up while I save your fat ass!_ but clearly she could not do this without losing professionalism, apart from being quickly fired.  
  
When Diane managed to calm down a bit, she raised her head, put on her glasses and began to write down the tasks she had to do on her agenda since her client had decided to turn everything she had already prepared. Diane could not get carried away by the idea that she was doing all the work again and that her client would end up being convicted with this strategy, but she had to put herself in her lawyer's place. The strategy he wanted to use was ridiculous, and it was going to cost her a lot to convince the jury and dissuade the prosecutor in charge of the case, who would beat Diane very easily. But Mr. Peralta did not want to reveal a key secret for all the strategies that could keep him out of jail. _To be a rich person, he is a true idiot_ , Diane thought, chuckling, she would earn the same because he would pay her fees, and probably with a large extra sum for the trouble of having to change strategy at the last minute, but she didn't like losing any cases. Well, actually, she didn't like losing anything.  
  
"What's up, mate?"  
  
Will's voice moved her away from her thoughts and she was forced to lift her head from the files she was trying to organize and give him a sweet smile.  
  
"Nothing... Alfred Peralta has just decided that he wants to change his strategy" her voice was exhausted.  
  
Will opened his eyes wide and sat down in one of the armchairs in front of her desk. "But Diane, the trial is in a couple of weeks just... Didn't you explain the disadvantages that will bring?"  
  
"Of course I explained it to him, but he doesn't want to listen to me," Diane said with a shrug. "And I won't try again, after all the things he told me, be grateful that I'm still trying to save his stupid ass."  
  
Will laughed at Diane's comment, she didn't usually express herself like that, but she was really upset with her client. "Maybe what I come to offer helps you to take away that bad mood..."  
  
Diane raised an eyebrow and smiled broadly. "What do you have to offer me, William?"   
  
"I thought you might want to come to have lunch with me, we will order your favorite dish..."  
  
Diane laughed at Will's words. "Ugh, I must look very bad for you to want to eat pasta..."  
  
"That... And I have to ask you a small favor, but I'll tell you after lunch" Diane was about to protest but Will continued before she could do it. "Are you ready to go?"  
  
"Oh no. Wait until I finish writing this down before I forget it… I hadn't noticed that it was time for lunch.”  
  
"I give you 20 minutes, Lockhart." Will winked and stood up from the chair to leave Diane's office.  
  
Diane shook her head side by side as she adjusted her glasses and continued writing down her new tasks in order to present the new defense.  
  
  
\--------------------------  
  
  
"Well, William. Here we are... Now, are you going to tell me which favor you want to ask me? Or should we also eat dessert for that?”  
  
“Wait, Lockhart. What is your hurry?” Asked Will, laughing as he took another sip of his wine glass.  
  
Diane rolled her eyes. "I have in my office a huge pile of files waiting for me to prepare a strategy with which I know I will lose a case and with which a man, who really dislikes me, will go to jail" she said all this without breathing and in a exasperating tone of voice, when she finished she grabbed her glass of wine and took a sip quite abundantly.  
  
“Wow! You need to calm down a bit. ”Will put a hand on Diane's, which was on the table, and continued. "I think the events that happened a few weeks ago give you a pattern of what happens if you get this nervous."  
  
Diane looked away from Will's eyes and focused on the window on her right. “Are you going to start with that too? I have enough with Kurt calling me every two hours asking me how I feel” she rolled her eyes again and looked back at her partner, who was looking at her with very worried eyes. “I'm fine, Will. What happened in New York will not happen again.”  
  
“How can you be so sure of that? I bet if I take you to a hospital now to measure your blood pressure, they would tell us that you have it in the clouds.”  
  
Diane laughed and shook her head from side to side. "You're overreacting William" but noticing that Will was really worried about her, she forced herself to add. "I promise you that if I feel a little bad, I will let you know immediately, enough with that?"   
  
"A little satisfied, I would say..." Will gently squeezed the grip of his hand and smiled.  
  
"Now, can we talk about why I'm here?" Diane asked impatiently.  
  
“Oh that! Yes… But first I must tell you a couple of things that were happening…” when he saw Diane raise an eyebrow, he smiled and continued. "Do you remember that a few months ago I told you that I was starting to date someone, but that I wouldn't tell you the name until it wasn't something serious?" Diane nodded firmly with a smile on her lips. "Well, it seems that now it's something serious... I mean, we've been seeing each other more often, and I don't know, I like it... She makes me feel good..."  
  
Diane smiled even more and shook her head from side to side. "And now I have to be surprised and pretend I don't know who it is?"  
  
Will's eyes widened and his jaw dropped a little. “How can you know? I haven't told anyone…”  
  
“I know you too much, Will. And from the moment Alicia Florrick started working at the firm, I knew something was wrong with her…” she explained, still laughing at Will's surprised expression. "What took me the longest time to find out was that she also had things going on with you... It was a matter of time before you both realized."  
  
Will's eyes were wide open, he was really shocked by his partner's words. After a few seconds of silence, Will recovered his speech. "You are amazing, Lockhart."  
  
Diane let out one of her typical laughs. "I know, dear..." Now she was the one who grabbed Will's hand, located on the table, and squeezed it. "You know that nothing you say will come out of here..."  
  
Will smiled and nodded slowly. "She is newly divorced and has two children... I think she was the woman I never thought I'd fall in love with..."  
  
"Tell me... Iʼve been in love with a republican all my life, William."  
  
They both laughed a few minutes to see the strange turn their lives had taken. Neither would have ever imagined it.   
  
It was Diane who cut the silence that had formed after her laughter stopped slowly. "So... What I haven't understood yet is why you would ask me for a favor that has to do with Alicia..."  
  
"It's really not something like a favor... It's more like an invitation..." Diane frowned and encouraged Will to continue. "Would you like it if we went to have dinner the four of us?"  
  
Diane widened her eyes and smiled at what her best friend asked. "I don't see why not... Although I should ask Kurt if he wants to do it... What I still don't understand is why so much mystery about this... I mean, you could have asked me in the office."  
  
"Is that..." he began, not finding the right words to say it. "Well, Alicia has the theory that you don't like her presence very much, and I wasn't quite sure if that was the case or not..." Will's voice was much lower than normal, as if he was afraid of Diane's response.  
  
She opened her huge light eyes wide and laughed. "Does she really believe that?" Seeing Will nodding seriously, she laughed more. "I think my ice queen character has worked with her..." she said with a laugh.  
  
"But it's not true, right?" Will asked this as if he didn't want to do it, Diane's opinion was very important to him, and if she didn't approve Alicia in his life, Will would be in a big bind.  
  
"Of course not, William. Maybe at the beginning, when she just arrived with all her husband scandal on top... But now she is not a person that I dislike at all...” she explained with a shrug.  
  
Will sighed in relief and smiled at his friend. "Then you accept?"   
  
Diane nodded with a smile on her lips. "Let me tell Kurt and then I will confirm you."  
  
  
\----------------------------------  
  
  
Afrer entering her apartment that night, she could not help feeling relieved, like all the fatigue she had accumulated during the day fell on her shoulders. Diane took off her high heels, leaving them near the entrance of the apartment, threw her purse on the table next to the it, put the coat in the closet and walked slowly towards the kitchen to prepare tea and get straight into bed. She almost never cooked at dinner, to be honest she never cooked in general, cooking was not one of her virtues and she didn't take the time to learn, but after the exhausting day she had had, what she least wanted was to eat.  
  
After lighting the fire to heat the water, she thought she might be needing something stronger to relax. Diane put out the fire, picked up a bottle of wine, a glass and started walking towards the stairs when the noise of her cell phone ringing inside her purse made her stop. She sighed audibly and went to pick it up, what she least needed in that moment was to talk to someone, she wanted to get into bed and get drunk until she forgot her day watching a series about serial killers on Netflix.  
  
Diane picked up the phone and cut the call without even seeing who was calling her. She silenced her cell phone and climbed the stairs to her room, relieved to be able to carry out her lonely plan.  
  
  
\--------------------------  
  
  
Kurt didn't know what to do. He hadn't talked to Diane since noon, before she explained that she would go to have lunch with Will and then to several meetings and tasks she had to take care of. She had promised to call him when she got to her apartment that night, but the call never came and Kurt was starting to worry. He knew she was not well, although she made too much effort to prove that she was.  
  
The images of what happened at the hotel that night in New York three weeks ago overwhelmed him. What if the same thing had happened and she was alone again? He wouldnʼt forgive himself, maybe it was more serious this time, maybe something really serious had happened that prevented Diane from answering any of the several calls Kurt had made. He was calling from 7^00 pm and it was almost 11^00 pm. He decided to drive to her apartment, in the worst case, she would be angry because he had invaded her privacy without warning, although he could excuse himself for the lack of response to his calls. Kurt took the keys of his truck and practically ran out of his house.  
  
  
\-------------------------  
  
  
A really loud noise brought her out of her sleep. She groaned loudly as she was awakened by the doorbell, which was ringing louder and louder. Diane sat on the bed and ran her hands over her face, turned her head to see the empty wine bottle on her bedside table with the empty glass next to it, the TV was still playing the series she had found perfect to watch that night. When she got out of bed she could see that she was still wearing the clothes she had worn all day and, when she tried to walk maybe she was a little drunk because her steps were quite discontinuous to be barefoot.  
  
When Diane left the room, the sound of the doorbell stopped and she frowned, just as she started go down the stairs to check that everything was fine. But she met the man she loved who was starting to climb them into her direction, a loud sigh came out of Kurt's mouth and then frowned.   
  
"Hello, Kurt... What are you doing here?" Diane's voice was much quieter than it normally was, as if trying to measure each of her words.  
  
Kurt smiled after finding her like that, with his wrinkled clothes, disheveled hair and bare feet. "I was worried about you... I came in here with the key you gave me for emergencies... You didn't answer my calls..."  
  
Diane thought for a moment right before speaking. "Oh! Maybe I has put the phone in silence…”  
  
He approached her and left a tender kiss on her lips. "You've been drinking..." he said savoring the wine Diane had on her lips.  
  
"Maybe I drank a bottle of wine..." she mentioned, wrapping her arms around Kurt's neck, over his shoulders.  
  
Kurt shook his head from side to side letting out a small smile. "I think I should take you to bed... It's too late and tomorrow you must work early, Diane."  
  
Diane nodded without problem and let Kurt lead her back to her room. He took the job of choosing a pijama for her and sending her to change to the bathroom, although she preferred doing it in front of him, which caused a laugh from Kurt, undressing in front of him would normally embarrass her.  
  
When she got inside the blankets, she patted the free place next to her so that Kurt could lay there. He smiled and didn't dare to contradict her, when she slept, he could leave.  
  
He lay down beside her and wrapped her in his arms, leaving a small kiss on her bare shoulder.  
  
"I feel like my life is falling apart, Kurt..." she murmured in a sleepy voice.  
  
Kurt frowned at her unexpected comment. "Why do you say that?" He asked cautiously.  
  
"For everything... Work overwhelms me, I have my daughter thousands of kilometers away and you will leave soon..."  
  
"I won't go anywhere, Diane..." he explained trying to calm her down. It wasn't the first time Diane made that comment.  
  
"You will... I know you will... When you know who I really am, you will leave without me being able to do anything about it..." Her voice was getting slower and it showed how she dragged each of the words she was saying.  
  
“But, Diane, why do you say such a thing? What is that so bad that it would make me stay away from you?”   
  
She no longer responded, not because she didn't want to, but because she had fallen deeply asleep.  
  
Kurt frowned and looked thoughtful. What could cause him to move away from the woman he loved most in the world? It was impossible, he knew he would never leave Diane again. Kurt concluded that they would surely be delusions caused by the amount of alcohol she had ingested, but he would have to talk to her about this the next day.


	18. "Fears"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my beloved readers! I am very happy to share this without letting go of too many days, luckily I am having a little free time and I am dedicating it entirely to this, so I hope in the next few days to write the end!
> 
> Some knots of history are beginning to unravel, although there is still a way to go...
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter and do not hesitate to comment, all the criticisms are well received and accepted!

The alarm on her phone woke her up quickly, but it was a matter of seconds before her head triggered sharp pain and reminded her of the previous night events. She opened and closed her eyes several times, until she managed to get used to the light in the room. While she was trying to move to get up, Diane discovered the two strong arms that were keeping her still, that was when she remembered everything. The bottle of wine, Kurt arriving late at night worried about her, both of them laying together and telling him something she shouldn't have said. She opened her eyes enormously when she thought about what she had said to Kurt before falling asleep, she definitely had to give up alcohol until she told him the truth. If she hadn't fallen asleep, who knows how far she would have been able to get while she was drunk.  
  
Diane closed her eyes when she felt her stomach upset and she stayed in bed trying to calm it down, she took a deep breath and let the air out little by little. She had already got used to the morning sickness she had had for several weeks ago, she had rarely ended up vomiting, but it was true that her stomach didn't seem to collaborate with her in the morning. At that moment, she regretted taking that bottle of wine the night before, Diane felt that she could no longer control her nausea and had to free herself from Kurt's strong arms, not noticing that she was waking him up, she run off to the bath and empty the contents of her stomach into the toilet.  
  
He woke up startled, he only saw Diane running to the bathroom and closing the door behind her, he heard the noises she was making against the toilet of the bathroom. Kurt got up as fast as he could and ran to the bathroom, when he opened the door he found Diane clinging to the toilet with one hand and trying to hold her hair with the other one. He had already seen her like that, but it was impossible to get used to it. Kurt grabbed a glass and filled it with water, knelt beside Diane, setting the glass aside and taking her hair so she could hold on tight to the toilet.  
  
After a few minutes like that, Diane could lift her head, without getting too dizzy, and lean against Kurt's chest, breathing fiercely and trying to recover the air.  
  
"Do you need anything else?" Kurt asked softly, grabbing the glass of water from the floor and giving it to her.  
  
Diane shook her head and accepted the glass of water, emptying it into her mouth at the first drink. "Thank you."  
  
Kurt shrugged and kissed her on the head. "Is this because of the bottle of wine you drank last night?"  
  
Diane shook her head again and regretted instantly, now she would have to give Kurt an explanation. "It has happened other times... Maybe this time it was because of the alcohol... I don't know."  
  
Kurt frowned and forced Diane to look at him, raising her head by her chin. “And why didn't you tell me that this has already happened, Diane? You must go to the doctor.”  
  
“It's not necessary, Kurt. I'm fine, I've just been a little broken…” She gave him a reassuring smile and squeezed his hand. “What are you doing here yet? Last night I thought you would leave after I fell asleep.”  
  
"I wanted to make sure you were okay... Although I thought about leaving after you fell asleep, I think I fell asleep watching you sleep," Kurt explained and ran a hand through her hair. "You must go to work, honey."  
  
"I know, but I must admit that I would stay watching you the rest of the day..." she kept her gaze on his gaze, so she gave him a smile and put a kiss on his cheek. "Can you help me to get up?"   
  
Kurt nodded and got up first, flexing his knees to help her getting up. Seeing Diane taking his head and closing her eyes, Kurt frowned. "Are you okay?"  
  
Diane nodded with her eyes closed. "Yes. Just a little dizzy. Iʼll be fine.”  
  
“Do you know that you should go to the doctor for all this? It's not normal what happens to you, Diane.”  
  
Diane opened her eyes and looked at him. God, she loved that man so much! He kept worrying about her every single time. She felt that she didn't deserve all the love he gave her, although she knew she should hug him very tightly now, because in a few days maybe she could never do it again.  
  
"I promise I will go to the doctor next week... In a few days Martha arrives to spend the weekend in Chicago, and I don't want to worry her with my health."  
  
"Okay, Diane." Kurt pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll go make breakfast while you take a shower, okay?"  
  
Diane nodded with a smile and watched her man withdraw from the bathroom and closing the door behind him. She faded her smile and sighed. Diane should go to the doctor urgently, and she really feared what he could say. She needed to talk to Will, he would help her in this mess.  
  
  
\---------------------------  
  
  
When she entered the kitchen she found a big breakfast that Kurt had prepared for both of them. The meals he could make with the few things she had in her refrigerator were incredible, he always managed to surprise her.  
  
Diane approached without him noticing and hugged him from behind, when Kurt turned to look at her, she smiled. "Good morning darling."  
  
"Good morning, Di," he replied giving her a quick kiss before turning back to the kitchen and finishing cooking the eggs.  
  
"You didn't let me know that half of Chicago's population would come for breakfast," Diane joked, laughing even more when Kurt rolled his eyes. “It seems so me that you made too much food.”  
  
Kurt shrugged. "You didn't eat anything last night, today you need a full breakfast because I bet you won't have lunch at noon."  
  
Diane chuckled and sat at the table waiting for her man to join her. Kurt finished cooking the eggs, put out the fire and joined her with a plate in each hand.  
  
They both ate breakfast in silence, Diane ate until her body allowed her. She didn't want to feel nauseous again at least for today, she hoped those had been enough for the day. Kurt cast worried looks at her every once in a while.  
  
"Can I ask you why you told me last night that I would get away from you?"  
  
The question made Diane choke on her toast and start coughing. She had completely forgotten the stupid things she had said that night, although it was obvious that Kurt had kept turning his words around, _they say that drunk people and children tell the truth..._  
  
"Did I say that?" Diane asked trying to look as surprised as possible. “Why would I say such a thing? I know you wouldn't get away from me..."  
  
Kurt shrugged. "I don't know, you told me that your life was a disaster, that everything overwhelmed you..." he took one of Diane's hands between his.  
  
“I only had a difficult day at work… You know, a complicated client. Maybe I said it because of that…” Diane excused herself without taking her eyes off the plate with traces of food in front of her.  
  
"Diane, look at me," Kurt ordered softly and she obeyed slowly, as if she was afraid to look him in the eye. “What's up, honey? You have been weird for several weeks... If there is something about us thatʼs bothering you, we can talk about it, I know we owe each other a conversation, I don't forget that. But I want you to get well so you can talk, I don't want this situation to hurt you, because we're fine, arenʼt we?”  
  
Diane's eyes filled with tears at her manʼs words. She was worrying him with all his circus, he loved her so much that he even suffered for her without having the slightest idea of what was going on in Diane's mind. "Of course we're fine, honey..." she said stroking Kurt's cheek with her free hand. "I know I'm weird, but it's just work and stuff... We'll talk, I promise."  
  
"Are you sure you're not like this because of our pending conversation?" Kurt's voice was barely a whisper, as if he didn't want to break it more than it already was.  
  
"No, honey... Don't worry... You have nothing to do with it, it's something I have to solve it for myself. It will go away…” seeing that Kurt nodded, she smiled and added. "Thank you for being with me every time I need you..."  
  
Kurt smiled and ran a thumb down Diane's cheek, removing the first tear she shed. "I don't want to be anywhere else..."  
  
After a moment of silence, they were both looking at each other with their hands clasped, but it was Diane who broke the moment. "Now that I remember... I should tell you about the invitation that Will made to us."  
  
Kurt widened his eyes. "An invitation? To what?"  
  
"Well, yesterday he told me that he started dating Alicia Florrick a few months ago, although I had been suspecting that, the chemistry between them was undeniable," she explained with a smile on her lips. "Alicia thinks that I don't like her, so Will came up with the idea of having dinner together, the four of us... Of course you can refuse, I don't know if it's a situation you're willing to witness."  
  
Kurt frowned and thought for a moment. "Do you want to go?"   
  
She nodded her head. "Of course, Alicia doesn't dislike me at all and I couldn't say no to Will in love... I think I never imagined I would live so long to see him like that," Diane explained smiling.  
  
Kurt smiled, shaking his head from side to side. "He probably thinks the same about you..." he said and laughed. “I would love to go with you, Di.”  
  
"Wonderful! I'll let Will know today to schedule a date and make reservations.” after saying that she leaned forward and kissed Kurt. "You're the best, and I love you so much," she said between kisses.  
  
"I love you so much too, Diane," Kurt said softly between her lips.  
  
  
\--------------------------  
  
  
Will and Diane scheduled the dinner for two days after Diane asked Kurt if he was willing to go. Will made reservations at a fancy and expensive restaurant that was in the center of Chicago, obsessed with the idea that he had made the invitation, Will offered to pay for dinner. Diane let him win, since it was a lost case to compete against the chivalry of her best friend.  
  
When dinner day arrived, both colleagues left work earlier than they used to, although it was Will who first came out by Alicia, who asked permission to retire earlier as well. Diane thought the situation was almost comical, of course she did not know Alicia at all and did not have to judge her for anything, but seeing her partner so in love with a woman who was divorced with two children was a very unusual situation.   
  
Diane arrived at her apartment an hour and a half before the time Kurt would pick her up. It took just over an hour to bathe, change and put makeup on, leaving plenty of time to wait for Kurt.  
  
As expected, Kurt arrived ten minutes earlier. When the door opened his jaw fell a little, Diane was really beautiful. She was wearing a violet-fit body dress, sleeveless and with a small neckline, her golden high heels made her legs look longer than they normally were and the makeup matched her dress perfectly.  
  
“Wow, Diane! You're beautiful,” Kurt said, approaching her to give her a small kiss on the lips.  
  
Diane blushed a little. "You look very smart in your suit, Mr. McVeigh."  
  
"Don't flatter me too much, Miss Lockhart, or we'll never get to the restaurant..." Kurt said seductively, putting an arm around Diane's waist, forcing her to get closer to him.  
  
“You will have what you want when we return home, Mr. McVeigh. You can wait a couple of hours. ”She kissed him again, but this time with more passion in her movements. "Now we go, or we will be late" with that said, she left her apartment, going down the stairs and leaving Kurt still standing at the door with a smile on her lips.  
  
  
\------------------------  
  
  
The restaurant was wonderful, luxurious and ostentatious. As soon as they arrived at the place, they gave their names at the reception and someone guided them to find the table where the youngest couple already was. The four greeted each other kindly, but for Aliciaʼs surprise Diane gave her a very warm hug.  
  
"You're very pretty, Alicia" Diane said kindly.  
  
Alicia blushed immediately and smiled. "Thank you, ma'am... I mean, Diane..." she corrected herself immediately, leaving the formality of calling her Mrs. Lockhart for work. "You too are beautiful..."  
  
Diane gave her a kind smile and sat on the chair that Kurt was politely holding for her.  
  
The evening was a real success. They talked about various topics, both serious and fun. They told stories about the office, talked about Alicia's children and how fast they were growing up, about their relationships and how strange and uncertain love was.  
  
When they ordered dessert, Alicia excused to go to the bathroom and Kurt had to answer a phone call which forced him to leave the restaurant for a moment, leaving Diane and Will alone.  
  
"I have to talk to you..." Diane murmured, taking a drink from her glass of wine.  
  
"Did something happen?" Will thought it was something about Alicia, like Diane didn't like her or something, and her pulse quickened.  
  
"Don't worry, it's nothing about Alicia," she explained and gave him a reassuring smile. "I think I'm in big trouble... Well, itʼs that or something really serious that I refuse to think about now," she said looking at her friend as if she was about to cry.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Will's look of concern increased, he looked up making sure that none of their partners were approaching the table.  
  
“I have a theory about the discomforts that I have been feeling in recent weeks and I am afraid to check if it is true or not… It is probably not what I am thinking, because it is quite unlikely according to my medical history, but I keep thinking about what could be…"  
  
"Diane, now you're scaring me..." Will was frowning and his eyes showed concern and fear for what his friend was about to tell him.  
  
"Will... I think I'm pregnant."


	19. "Positive"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi girls! Very good Monday for all!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, I think it is one of my favorites although we still have a long way to go, we are almost halfway through this story...
> 
> Thank you very much to all who are still there and read each chapter, I am so glad to know that you are liking this!

Will widened his eyes and had to force himself to blink several times to try to understand what Diane was saying. Pregnant? ¿Diane? _This must be a bad joke,_ Will thought. _It could not be possible...  
  
_ "Are you playing with me, Diane?" He asked.  
  
She shook her head slowly. "I would like that... But no, this is real and my doubts are getting bigger..." Diane explained sincerely, feeling that she took a weight off when she could talk to someone.  
  
"But Diane, can you... I mean, you're 48 years old... Is it possible...? You know… that?” Will wasn't too good at picking his words at times like that, and he could tell when Diane chuckled.  
  
“Technically I can, but it is a possibility among a million, and even after the problems I had with Marthaʼs pregnancy. I would never have imagined that this could really happen, the doctors assured me that I canʼt have children again. Apart from the fact that women of my age generally pay a lot of money to get pregnant with treatments,” Diane said with a shrug.   
  
Will nodded and took a moment to formulate the next sentence. "And from what I've noticed, you still haven't talked to Kurt..." It wasn't a question, Will was sure she hadn't talked to him yet, clearly things wouldn't be so serious if she had talked to him.  
  
Diane shook her head and looked down at her hands that were together resting on her own lap. "No, I haven't told him, and I don't want to do it until I am sure that I am... Because if this is not a pregnancy, as is very likely, I am afraid of what it may be."  
  
Will took Diane's hands in his own, which made her look at him. Will could see the nerves and anguish in his best friend's eyes, apart from the fact that her hands were shaking a little. “You have to calm down, Diane. At this time and in this place we cannot talk about the subject as we should, but I promise you that I will not leave you alone with this, okay?” Diane nodded, trying to keep the tears that had formed in her eyes from falling, Will noticed this and continued. "Tomorrow morning we'll talk in your office, just try to get it out of your mind tonight, and stop imagining things that may not be happening."  
  
Before Diane could answer, they both saw Alicia head towards the table where the four were having dinner, and immediately released their hands with a smile.  
  
Alicia sat in her place, leaving her purse at her side and frowned at the worried faces of her companions. "Is everything alright? Where is Kurt?”  
  
Will nodded and leaned down to give Alicia a small kiss on the lips. “All good, honey. Kurt left to take a call from work.”  
  
Diane smiled and nodded at Will's explanation, taking her glass of wine and emptying it in one swallow, causing a worried look on Will's part toward her. If there was any chance she was pregnant, she had clearly ruined it with the amount of bottles of wine she had been drinking since her strange symptoms began. She looked at Will and rolled her eyes, that night she would forget about all her suspicions.  
  
She was startled to feel a hand sliding down her back, she turned to watch Kurt smiling and sitting in his place at the table. “Sorry, Di. It was a work call that I couldn't ignore.”  
  
"Do not worry honey. Nothing interesting has happened here…” Diane said, looking away from Will, who nodded and took a long drink from his glass of wine.  
  
"So... Shall we order dessert?" Kurt asked, placing a hand on Diane's right leg.  
  
"Yes, and another bottle of wine," Diane suggested, earning the kick that Will gave her under the table. He had asked her to forget about the situation for the rest of the night, and that was going to be done, but she couldn't do it without the help of alcohol.  
  
  
\-------------------------  
  
  
"I think the story of your first time in court was really funny!" Kurt laughed, closing the door of Diane's apartment behind him.  
  
"When I told you that I was going to regret having invited you to court that day, I didn't think I would do it 25 years later," Diane said, taking off her high heels. "Although I must admit that I can finally laugh at that."  
  
Kurt wrapped her in his arms and kissed her hair. "You were wonderful, although half a jury laughed when you accidentally dropped your help cards and stumbled upon getting up to interrogate your first witness," he said briefly, laughing again as he remembered the exact moment. "I was surprised that Will didn't know the story."  
  
"Are you crazy? Of course, Will didn't know, do you know he won't stop laughing at me now?” Diane exclaimed, smiling and kissing her man on the lips.   
  
"Mmm, your lips still taste like wine..." Kurt muttered, kissing her more passionately.  
  
They stood there for several minutes in the hallway of the entrance, only kissing passionately, only releasing their lips to breath and then kissing again. They could be like this for hours, they were not only needed in their minds, but also their bodies responded instantly to the contact of each other.  
  
Kurt stopped one of his many kisses and forced her to look at him in the eye stroking her cheek. "If you want me to stop, you must say it now... I don't know how much longer I will be able to contain myself..." he clarified, bending down to start kissing her neck, making Diane choke.  
  
"I would never ask you to stop... Let's go to the room" Diane managed to say when her breathing became heavier.  
  
Both climbed the stairs as fast as their hot bodies allowed them to do. Upon arriving in the room, Diane began unbuttoning Kurt's shirt as they slowly approached her huge, empty bed. Once she had managed to take Kurt's shirt off, Diane lowered her hands to find the buckle on his belt and unfasten it. Their kisses did not stop, they were both thirsty of each other, each time they were more passionate, more full of love and affection, they could not let go, they should not let go for the good of the other.  
  
“Wait, Diane. Let's go slower... We have all night, honey..." Kurt said slowly cutting the intense kiss in which they were minutes ago.  
  
Kurt turned Diane, placing her with her back to him, so he could unzip her zipper. As he slowly lowered her, he left short but passionate kisses on her shoulders. Diane had to close her eyes and sigh audibly when she felt Kurt's lips on her body. It was amazing how a simple touch of that man transported her to a world full of desire and love, she had never been able to resist his kisses or caresses, Kurt had been the person who could make her feel loved the most.  
  
Once Kurt removed Diane's dress and her bra, he began massaging her breasts while kissing her neck.  
  
"Ah! Kurt!” Diane groaned at the beautiful feeling of his touch. "Do not stop!"  
  
When Diane finally managed to take Kurt's pants off, they both fell on the huge bed without stopping the kisses for a single second. Diane slid her hand across Kurt's chest until she reached his burning bulge, he was already hard and she smiled maliciously when she noticed it.  
  
Kurt slowly lowered her panties and threw them out of her so they would be part of the room's decor, while he put two fingers inside her, making small turns on her clitoris, making Diane groan louder. He knew how to touch her to make her scream with pleasure, he knew her body better than anyone.  
  
Diane felt her orgasm was getting closer, so she put a hand on Kurt's chest, trying to stop him for a second. "I don't think we need this either..." Diane murmured, also lowering Kurt's boxer and throwing it out of bed. "I want you inside me now, Kurt."  
  
"Your wishes are orders," he murmured, kissing Diane on the lips for the last time.  
  
Kurt placed himself on Diane and got inside her slowly, as if she were a doll that could break before some sudden movement, this made them both moan with pleasure, there was no doubt they were made for each other, their bodies fit perfectly. He began to penetrate her more intensely as he kissed her breasts. Diane was ecstatic, she didn't know how much longer she was going to be able to endure without completely freeing herself.  
  
“Let yourself go, honey. I know you're close,” Kurt murmured in Diane's ear, which made her moan loudly, almost screaming because of the pleasure her body was feeling. She loved that man so much and how well she made her feel, she had never felt so loved before, none of her momentary "lovers" had been able to make her feel like Kurt did.  
  
Her inner thigh contracted and made Kurt also end up inside her, he growled loudly, dropping on top of Diane resting his elbows at his sides trying not to fall completely on top of her and hurt her.  
  
They were like this for a few minutes, trying to normalize their heart rhythms again and control their breathing. Then, Kurt came out of her slowly, took the blankets off the bed and threw them on top of them as he sat on the bed resting his back on the back of the bed. Diane felt his arm wrapped around her so she would get even closer. They were ecstatic and happy, their love could overcome any bad mood or bad moment, Diane had already forgotten the sudden dizziness she had felt when she entered the apartment over an hour ago. Kurt completed her, managed to reassure her to levels that not even a thousand painkillers could have done.  
  
“I think you should stop thinking and fall asleep, Mrs. Lockhart. You must work early tomorrow,” Kurt said, stroking Diane's cheek slowly.  
  
Diane nodded against his chest and placed a tender kiss on him. "Do you know that I love you so much?" She asked and raised her head to look him into the eyes.  
  
Kurt smiled slightly. "I know, almost as much as I love you," he replied giving her a small kiss on the lips. "Goodnight, honey."  
  
"Good evening, Kurt," she replied, leaving Kurt's arms for only a second to lean in and turn off the light of her lamp on her bedside table.  
  
  
\-----------------------------  
  
  
She felt her head was about to explode. Diane was alone in her office with the curtains closed, her head resting on her hands and her elbows resting on the desk. In her bag there was a bomb about to explode, she just needed her best friend and partner to arrive to help her light that bomb. She could not be pregnant, it had to be something else, anything, the cause of all her discomforts. Diane had such a bad pregnancy with Martha, she almost lost her several times, she spent the whole pregnancy medicated and resting, extremely distressed at the time she was living. She was totally alone, she had left Kurt and her parents had rejected her when she told them she was pregnant and single. That Martha was born was, in part, a miracle, and doctors had told Diane that maybe she could never have children again.   
  
But here she was, with 48 years sitting in her office waiting for her best friend to take a stupid pregnancy test. Clearly life was laughing at her, it was amazing how only a few months had put her quiet life on her head.  
  
The soft knock on the door of her office made her fall back into reality. "You can come in, Will," Diane said, raising her head and trying to hide the tears that fell from her eyes.  
  
Will entered the office and locked the door, approached her best friend and forced her to get up from her chair to give her a big hug. "Everything will be fine, Diane," he murmured trying to comfort her when she broke completely in his arms.  
  
"You don't know that, Will," she murmured and raised her head to look at him. “Do you understand that if it is positive I will be alone again? Kurt and Martha are not going to talk to me again when they know the truth, I will go back to what I already had with Martha but worse, because now I am a 48 year old lady who cannot live with all this…”  
  
"Wait a minute, stop torturing yourself like this!" Will chided, trying to stop Diane from speaking. “First, let me tell you that you are getting ahead of the facts. You still havenʼt take the test, Diane, you should calm down a bit... And second, if your worst fears happen, I will be here with you... I promise that I will not leave you alone, Diane... You will never be alone again..." Will wanted Diane to understand that he would never really leave her, she was his best friend and he loved her.  
  
Diane nodded as she ran the tears from her eyes with her hands. "I also think that if it is not a pregnancy, it can be something really bad..."  
  
"Diane, you can't torture yourself like this for something that hasn't happened yet... Now this is happening and you should concentrate on this, if the test is negative we will face it and if it is positive too, but you cannot torture yourself like this..." Will explained trying to make Diane understand his point and finally calming down a bit.  
  
Diane nodded slowly again, she knew that Will was right, but it was very difficult to put into practice what her best friend said. Then she went to her bag and took the pregnancy test in her trembling hands. "Wish me luck," she murmured in Will's direction.  
  
"Just shout if you need anything, I'll be here waiting for you..." Will mentioned with an encouraging smile. And she entered the small bathroom that had in her own office.  
  
The ten minutes the test required became eternal. Diane thought she was going crazy, she walked side by side through the small bathroom a dozen times until the alarm she had put on her phone finally rang reminding her that the results were already in front of her eyes. She took the pregnancy test in her hands and, without looking at it, left the bathroom to meet Will who jumped out of his seat when he saw her. She looked at him, sighed deeply and counted to three to turn the pregnancy test and check the situation. Will could see the result but he was waiting for her to say something before he could speak.  
  
Diane opened her eyes enormously and her breathing became heavier when she saw the result. _Positive. She was pregnant._ She dropped the test from her hands so she could use them to cover her face and cry. She was not sick and she would not die of some strange disease. Diane couldn't see anything positive about this, not at that moment. She was relieved when two arms wrapped around her, but she didn't stop crying. If something was missing from the chaos that her life was, it was a baby. Life was really laughing at her.


	20. "The support of a friend"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so happy that you are already reading chapter 20, I can say that you are in the middle of the story and I am so glad to have come here with you.
> 
> I think that the next chapters are fundamental in the plot of the story, so I will try to update in a few days to avoid leaving them more intrigue ... But if they got here, I assure you that they do not want to miss what is coming!
> 
> Enjoy your reading, girls!

"Do you want to talk?"  
  
Diane turned her head to her best friend and shrugged. Honestly she didn't know what to say, her mind wandered between grabbing her passport and taking the next flight to the farthest destination she could find or running to Kurt's house and shouting that they would be parents for the second time, although for this she would have to explain that they were already parents, and that would make him get away from her, leaving her completely alone with her next son or daughter. Both options had the same result, she would be left alone and, at some point, she had earned it. She should have returned that day to Kurt's house, she should have told him about Martha's pregnancy and then disappeared, at least that man would have known he was a father. _Do you think he wouldnʼt be mad at you anyway?_ asked a voice in Diane's mind, which made her frown. Of course he would have been angry with her, although it is also possible that he would have looked for her more desperately and perhaps found her, she would have forgiven him, now they would be happy with four more children and be a beautiful family. But she couldn't stop thinking about that day, the day she walked away for what, at that time, seemed like forever. God, she wanted so much to go back in time! Things would have been very different...  
  
  
_The smile she had on her lips was enormous, the happiness she felt at that time was also huge. She had vomited every morning for a week and had a delay of four days, those were enough reasons to run to the nearest pharmacy and buy a pregnancy test. After the long minutes of waiting, the test had revealed two perfect stripes, she was pregnant. And, although she knew that this was not a desired pregnancy, and that Kurt might be mad at her for not being more careful, she was happy. Her heart exploded with happiness as she drove to Kurt's house to tell him the good news. She was thinking about all the possible reactions of her boyfriend, and although some of them scared her a little, they were mostly all beautiful.  
  
After arriving at Kurt's house, she parked in a place that was near the door. Diane frowned when she saw another car parked next to her boyfriend's old truck, it could really be anyone's, although it reminded her of someoneʼs car, she didn't know who. At the time it occurred to her that maybe Kurt was with one of her university classmates, she thought about not hitting so she wouldnʼt disturb, but a second after she decided to do it anyways, the news she had to give Kurt couldn't wait any longer.  
  
She knocked on the door several times without getting any response. Diane continued knocking, she knew that Kurt must be inside, without his truck he could not get very far. When she struck again, she remembered the key Kurt had given her in case of emergencies. She turned her purse in search of the damn key until she found it, smiled grateful she hadn't left it at her residence, put the key in the door and, after turning it twice, entered Kurt's house.  
  
  
_"Diane...?" Will's voice made her leave her memories out of her mind for a second.  
  
They were both sitting in the large armchair in the living room of Diane's apartment, she was leaning against his chest, while he slowly stroked her left arm slowly. Will had insisted that both of them should leave the office before the partners and associates began to suspect what was happening in Diane's office. First he proposed to Diane to take the day off so she could be alone in her apartment, she really looked exhausted and this was not good for her or for the little one who was growing up inside her. But after hearing Diane crying, telling him that she was so afraid of being alone, he preferred to accompany her to her apartment and stay with her for the rest of the day, or the time she needed.  
  
"I just..." Diane sighed as she couldnʼt find the right words to speak. "I just want to go back in time and tell Kurt..."  
  
"Why do you say that?" Will asked frowning.  
  
"I think I'm repeating the story, Will..." she murmured raising her head to look at her partner's eyes. "And I don't know what to do to avoid it."  
  
Will thought for a moment. "You should talk to Kurt, Diane... It's the only option you have if you want to reverse the story."  
  
Diane shook her head several times. "No... Because, if he knows that I am pregnant, he will leave me when he finds out that heʼs been a father for 25 years and I hid it," she murmured, letting her tears fall back on Willʼs shirt, which was completely wet already.  
  
Will frowned. "You don't know that, you don't know how Kurt will react..." he explained, trying to convince her. "Although I have a hard time understanding why you never mentioned that he was Martha's father."  
  
Diane laughed sarcastically. "You didn't see what I saw the night I went to tell him..."  
  
  
_After entering the house, the lights were all on. Diane frowned when she saw that on the small table next to the large armchair in the living room, there were several empty bottles of beer. She smiled at the thought that maybe Kurt was drunk, sleeping on the bed in the room, hugging the pillow that used to be on the side she slept on when she used to stay at his house. Diane crossed the hallway that led to his room slowly, thinking about the words she would use when she gave him the great news. But she stopped quickly when she heard the strange noise coming from Kurt's room, flooding the hallway. Diane's mind imagined the worst, but she quickly became convinced that what her mind showed her could not be true, Kurt loved her and he would never betray her, she was sure of that._  
  
_But, when Diane was about to open the door, she heard a womanʼs voice, or to be more explicit, womanʼs moans, and not of any woman, it was her best friend Sarah who was screaming, in a very loud voice, Kurt's name passionately. She widened her eyes greatly to close them again, she felt sick of just imagining what was happening in that room._  
  
_"Sons of a bitch!" Diane shouted without thinking, as she began to run down the hall. She did not dare to enter the room, it was not necessary, with everything she had heard she could deduce very well what was happening. Diane wasn't aware that the noises had stopped and that, a few seconds later, Kurt was running after her wearing only her underpants on._  
  
_"Diane! Wait!” the young man shouted trying to stop her._  
  
_She turned sharply to face him. “What do you want me to wait for?! Do you want to keep laughing in my face with my best friend?!”_  
  
_"For the love of God! Diane, don't be a hypocrite!” Kurt shouted, raising his voice to the same volume Diane was using. “Do you think I didn't know you were sleeping with John all this time?"_  
  
_Diane's eyes widened. "Tell me you're making a joke..." she murmured, trying to keep the tears that had formed in her eyes, a product of the rage she felt at that moment, from falling. "She told you that? Did she tell you that I was sleeping with her boyfriend?” She asked as if it was the most stupid thing she had been told in her entire life._  
  
_Kurt nodded but said nothing, he was beginning to be more sober and to notice that he had ruined everything with the woman in front of him._  
  
_Diane put her two hands on her face and shouted loudly. “That damn bitch lied to you and you believed her as the idiot you are, Kurt! How can you believe that I would cheat on you, damn stupid?” the tears had begun to fall down Diane's face._  
  
_"Diane... I... She came here with all those beer bottles, crying because she had found out that John was cheating on her, how would I know it wasn't true?" Kurt tried to speak calmly, but clearly that didn't reassure the Young blonde._  
  
_“And you couldn't think of a better idea than sleeping with her? You could have asked me, Kurt! ”Diane shouted angrily, bringing both of her hands to her face trying not to look at him. "You ruined everything we had, Kurt..."_  
  
_"Wait, Diane, I love you, this was a mistake, I was drunk and I didn't think about what I was doing..." Kurt said whispering, trying to get close to her._  
  
_"Don't come near me!" she shouted, stepping back. "I had planned to spend my whole life with you, I thought we were meant for each other, I trusted you, Kurt... And I came here as an idiot to tell you that... that..." before speaking, Diane thought better about it, she didn't want him to know of her pregnancy, not anymore… “I don't want to see you again in my whole life, Kurt! You are the worst thing that ever happened to me!”_  
  
_She slammed the door. He tried to run her, he wanted to reach her, he wanted to apologize a million times until she could forgive him, he couldn't lose her, he loved her more than anything in the world and he hated himself for being such a jerk and having done something That could hurt her so much. But he didn't run after her, he just stood in his hallway, trying not to shed the tears that had formed in his eyes, but he didn't succeed. What he didn't know was that he would cry much more because of this, even after so many years..._  
  
  
"And after that what happened?" Will asked softly, still hugging his partner sideways.  
  
She sighed audibly. "After that night I disappeared from his life... I left the residence where I lived, packed all my things and went as far as I could... I tried to go to my parents' house, but they threw me out of their lives telling me that I could not raise a child on my own, that I would have to get married and abandon my studies, as I told them I would not do that, they decided to leave me alone...” Diane shrugged, while Will hugged her tighter. "I know that Kurt looked for me everywhere, but I was too hurt to meet him... I thought maybe this was the best revenge for what he had done to me..."  
  
Will felt angry, although he knew that everything that had happened between them had been really painful to Diane and that Kurt had been really sorry for everything, he couldn't help wanting to hit him for the damage he had done to her best friend. "That will not happen again, Diane," Will promised firmly, causing her to look at him. "I promise you that I won't leave you alone, never... But you should talk to Kurt, he should know no matter what happened between you two."  
  
She nodded slowly. "I know, I will... Tonight I'll go see him and talk to him," Diane muttered firmly. "This canʼt wait any longer, he must know the whole truth... And Martha too..."  
  
After a small silence, in which both of them remained reflecting on what Diane had just told, Will asked cautiously. "Speaking of Martha, isnʼt she coming to Chicago today?"  
  
Diane nodded again and smiled. "Yes, in a couple of hours... She didn't want me to go to the airport because she is an ‘adultʼ who can get to my apartment alone," she said, highlighting the quotes in the word "adult" when she spoke. Will laughed at Diane's clarification.  
  
They were silent for a moment. Diane thought about the advantages and disadvantages of bringing that baby to the world and Will thought about all the care he would have to give his best friend from that moment, he wouldn't leave her alone, he would recognize that baby as his just not to see her friend suffering once again in her life, he already felt too bad for not having met her before and being able to help her at that moment.  
  
"Don't you think you should go to the doctor to check that everything is okay?" Will asked softly, trying to bring up another topic of conversation to avoid the awkward silence, although he knew that Diane hated everything that was related to hospitals.  
  
Diane nodded several times. "Yes I know. I'll go tomorrow, I'll take a turn tomorrow afternoon for my obstetrician and my gynecologist,” Diane explained, frowning at Will's worried look. "You can join me if you want... I'm sure that by then, Kurt will already know the truth and he won't want to hear from me..."  
  
Will shook his head slowly. "Don't think like that... I will go with you with pleasure if you want it, but stop thinking negative things, maybe Kurt wants to go with you..." he said and took Diane's hands in his. “Di, you are pregnant, you should be happy… Have you ever imagine that this could happen? At this age?"  
  
Diane laughed at Will's clarification about her age. “Maybe I imagined having more children, but I never found the right person. You already know that I have had some men in my life, but that person was Kurt and I thought I had forgotten him... And if I wanted have them I would have had to get many treatments, because I was very convinced that I could not be a mother again…”  
  
"Sometimes life manages to surprise you in ways you can't imagine," Will muttered with a smile. “Do you want this baby, Diane?” He had thought that maybe she would prefer to terminate that pregnancy and forget that it existed, although he took time to ask her about it.  
  
She opened her eyes enormously and thought for a moment, clearly that baby was arriving at a wrong time in her life and probably the right option would have been to terminate the pregnancy, but go to hell! Of course she would love the baby! She stood up from the couch, breaking the hug with Will and nodded very decidedly towards him. "Yes, Will... I want this baby..."


	21. "The truth"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't want to entertain you too much with this... I think this is one of the most anticipated chapters, so ignore my stupid things and start reading!
> 
> I will be looking forward to your comments, and I promise to update in the coming days!

"I must talk to Martha when she arrives."  
  
Will turned on his feet to look at her and raise an eyebrow. He was preparing coffee for both of them while she had just sat at the dining room table with her head in her hands trying not to go crazy. Will had sent her to take a shower and rest for a few hours before her daughter arrived from New York, although she had completed the relaxing bath, she could not sleep for a single second. She couldn't stop thinking that she had a life inside her, again, after 25 years she was gestating a child again. How should she feel? Probably happy, but the word happiness was not exactly what came to her mind when she thought about her pregnancy, instead, what she felt was fear. After Martha's pregnancy, doctors had told her that it was very likely that she would not have children again, she had been very damaged after the complications she had suffered. And now how would this be? She had been reading about high-risk pregnancies after the age of 40 and she knew that, in a large percentage, they ended up on a spontaneous abortion. She knew that she should not become fond of this baby until she was sure that she would not lose him, although this was a bit impossible, she had already begun to look forward to the idea of becoming a mother again.  
  
"Will you tell her everything as soon as she arrives, Diane?" Will asked a little surprised at Diane's idea, leaving a cup of coffee in front of her and sitting in one of the chairs with a cup of coffee in his hands.  
  
“If I wait a day or two to do it, I will ended up not doing it Will. Do you think I haven't tried it before?” she asked ironically. Then, she took a drink and continued. "Since Kurt has reappeared I have been trying to talk, but I always make the mistake of waiting for a good moment... It's never a good time to give such news!"  
  
Will nodded slowly, as if he were reflecting on Diane's words. "You'll know when it's the right time to do it... But, you know I'll be here for you when you're determined to do it, right?"  
  
Diane smiled sadly and nodded several times. Will was behaving much better than what she had expected, it was true that he was her best friend and companion, but no one forced him to put Diane's broken pieces together every time she fell. Maybe she was having the worst time of her life, but she knew perfectly well that she could count on him whenever she needed him. Will had even offered to recognize her child so she wouldn't have to raise the baby on her own, of course she would never allow that, if Diane was able to raise a daughter totally alone several years ago, she could do it again now. Now, would Kurt want to fulfill his role as a father? After he knew the whole truth, he could not want to return to Dianeʼs life never again. But she also knew that man well, and he would never allow a child to grow up without his father, he would still take his place ignoring Diane in every possible way.  
  
 _God, she needed to stop thinking!_ Her mind only created theories of everything that could happen if she opened her mouth and told that secret she had kept for 25 years. None of the options that had occurred to her had a happy ending... To be realistic, _what happy ending could this situation have?_ What person would forgive her after having hidden such a secret for 25 years? She didn't deserve forgiveness, she would end up completely alone and she deserved it.  
  
Without being able to avoid it, Diane's tears began to fall and then shed a loud sob that caused Will to look at her strangely. She had begun to cry louder now, bringing her hands to her face, without even trying to control her tears or sobs. She needed to cry, she wanted to scream and break things. How was it possible that she had made so many bad decisions? She was a bad person, she deserved everything bad that was happening to her and what was going to happen to her. Her mind kept torturing her, _someone had to punish her for all her mistakes…  
  
_ She didn't even notice when Will stood up from his place in front of her, approached her and, forcing her to get up from the chair, wrapping her in a big hug. "I can't promise you everything will be fine..." Will began, whispering in Diane's ear. "But I can promise you that you will not be alone, stop punishing yourself with that."  
  
Diane rested her head on Will's shoulder and tried to calm down. She tried to breathe deeply several times, trying to make her sobs disappear. They were like this for a few minutes, but when Will tried to undo the hug he felt like Diane's legs did not support her weight and her entire body fell into his arms. Without hesitation, he drew her unstable body to him.  
  
"Diane! What's wrong with you?" in his voice, he could feel the panic he was feeling at the thought that Diane was fainting right there.  
  
She raised her head to him, trying to open her eyes without succeeding. "I'm a little dizzy, Will... I think my blood pressure has dropped a little," she mentioned each of those words very slowly.  
  
Will frowned, trying to find the right words to say what he had in mind. "I know you won't like this... But I think we should go to the hospital, Diane..."  
  
She shook her head firmly, but deep down, Diane knew that Will was right. She could not stand, she felt that her head was about to explode and her vision was increasingly blurred. Her fear of hospitals could not be present at this time, her life was no longer at stake, but also the life of that creature inside her.  
  
  
\----------------------------  
  
  
Martha frowned when she discovered that her mother's apartment front door was locked with two turns of the key, when she was there she closed the door with only one turn of the key, this could only mean that her mother was not there. It was weird, Diane had told her daughter that she would be at home at the time of her arrival, they both didn't see each other since Martha's graduation and they really missed each other a lot, although Martha had asked her not to go looking for her the airport because she did not want to bother her at work.  
  
She entered the apartment, leaving the suitcase at the door and the keys on the next table. Martha shouted her mother's name several times without getting an answer. Maybe Diane had had some urgency at work and couldn't tell Martha that she would leave. He was convinced of that until she entered the kitchen, looking for some sign of her mother's whereabouts, and saw two cups of half-drunk coffee on the dining room table. Why would they look like this? Her mother was not the kind of person who left dirty cups on the table, whatever urgency she had. Beside from that, her mother hadn't told her she would be with someone in the apartment, as she normally would have. Something strange was happening and, although it would surely be stupid, she couldn't stop thinking that something serious had happened. Her mother would have told her about any strange situation, but this time she had no messages or missed calls from her. _This was not normal.  
  
_ Martha was still in the kitchen, washing the cups that had been left with coffee on the dining room table, when she heard the door opening. She almost shouted that she was already in the apartment, but when she heard Diane speaking on the phone, she restrained herself and approached the kitchen door so she could hear what Diane was saying to the person behind the phone. _  
  
_ "I know, Will... As soon as I check if Martha arrived I will go to bed... Yes... I know I should rest... Can you not worry so much? I'll be fine!... No, I won't talk to her tonight... She won't know my situation, Will! I'm not going to worry her with this... Yes... I already told you yes, William! I'll call you if something happens… Good night, Will… I love you too…”  
  
Diane dropped her phone into her bag again and placed it on the entrance table. She let out a long sigh, still believing she was alone, but froze when she heard noises coming from the kitchen. She walked slowly there and, when she opened the door, she found Martha leaning on the island of her kitchen, her arms crossed on her chest and her brow furrowed.  
  
Diane's gaze relaxed noticeably and she smiled at her daughter. “Martha! I didn't know you had arrived…” she mentioned trying to get close to her daughter to hug her, but surprised to see that Martha rejected her. "What's up, honey?"  
  
"What's the matter with you?" Martha asked sharply, revealing her discomfort in her tone of voice. “I arrived and you were not there, I have lived in New York for years and you have never missed when I return home after weeks without seeing us. Then, I hear that you are talking to Will about not telling me about your situation... What happens, mom!?” She asked that last question screaming and with tears in her eyes.  
  
Diane felt cornered, she had no escape. "Look Martha... I wanted to talk to you, but I think this is not the right time..."  
  
Martha's eyes widened, and her mind imagined the worst. "Mom, you're scaring me... Are you sick?"  
  
“No, Martha! I'm fine... I'm just with low blood pressure, and a little anemic, but I'm fine...” Diane thought that maybe she could tell her daughter everything, she could keep her secret.  
  
"And that's why you were in the hospital?" Martha's question was almost a whisper.  
  
Diane nodded slowly. "That's why... and the reason I've been feeling a little bad for several weeks... Dizziness, nausea, fainting..."  
  
"And now you tell me!?" Martha's voice was loud again, interrupting her mother's story again. "Why did you wait so long to go to the hospital?"  
  
Diane shrugged. "I thought it was be nothing... I was under a lot of stress, between the cases and the-" Martha interrupted her for the third time.  
  
"When did all this start?" She asked firmly. "Because several weeks ago it was my graduation and if you were already feeling bad at that time, I will be very angry with you for not telling me."  
  
Diane smiled at her daughter's anger, but her smile lasted only seconds when she saw Martha's angry expression. "It started when we were in New York... But it's nothing serious, Martha..."  
  
"So what is it!? You have me standing here, worried about you and you don't tell me anything! Why am I always the last to know things? I don't live far enough to forget about my exist-“  
  
“I'm pregnant, Martha! Stop screaming!” Diane shouted as loudly as she could, given her low blood pressure and how weak she felt, so she could shut up her daughter's cries of reproach.  
  
Martha's gaze stopped expressing fear and begin expressing absolute astonishment. _Her mother was pregnant_ , she would have a brother or sister, this could not be true. As a child she had always wanted a younger brother, she wanted someone to play with her dolls and board games. But her mother managed to make her understand that that would not happen, since she believed she could not have children again, not counting the part in which Diane never had a stable partner with whom she could decide to become a mother again, even if it was through some treatment . But now it was different, nobody saw this pregnancy coming and, because of the expression on Diane's face, she hadn't looked for it either.  
  
"Oh Mother! Are you really telling me? ”Martha said, drawing her to her to hug her. "How is it possible? I thought you couldn't have any more children…”  
  
Diane dropped into her daughter's hug and squeezed her tight, trying to smile before shedding the tears that were forming in her eyes. "Believe me... I didn't think this was possible either, but it happened and now I don't know what to do..."  
  
“And what else would you do? I can't imagine Kurt not allowing you to have that child…” she mentioned, making a clear reference to Kurt's political ideologies.  
  
"No, Kurt still doesn't know... I have to talk to him about other things before I tell him this, I was going to do it today but given my current condition, I shouldn't go through stress..."  
  
"What other things? Mother, you are a box of surprises…” Martha said laughing a little, moving away from her mother so she could look her into the eye, but without letting her go.  
  
Diane let go of her daughter's arms abruptly. "I'm not... I'm just a bad person who lied to those I loved the most just to save my ass..." Diane said before breaking into tears. It was clear that all the stress Diane was suffering had begun to damage her mental stability.  
  
Martha simply opened her eyes very wide, and stared at her mother without knowing what to say. “What are you talking about, mom? You are the friendliest person I know.”  
  
"I'm not... You don't know, Martha..." Diane murmured in tears, while holding her hands on her face, covering the tears she was shedding.  
  
"Yes I know! I know you, mom… Why are you saying things like that?” Martha didn't really understand what her mother meant by all this.  
  
“You don't know me! You don't know everything I've hidden from you!” she needed her daughter to stop saying good things about her.  
  
She placed her hands on her mother's shoulders, trying to make her listen to her. "Mom, please stop ... I do not understand that you want to win with all this, I know very well the kind of mother I have, and whenever you have hidden something from me you have done it for my own good, I do not understand why now you go out with-"  
  
"Shut up for once!" Diane shouted, taking her hands off her face, staring at her daughter. "Kurt is your father, Martha!"  
  
There was a long silence, Martha simply let go of her mother's shoulders slowly and watched her. _Diane was lying to her_ , she thought, _it couldn't be true,_ that man had shared so many moments with her those last months, it was impossible that her mother had seen them together all that time and didn't tell the truth. Martha couldn't believe it, _it couldn't be true_ , Diane wouldn't do that to her. _She must be delirious.  
  
_ "You don't..." Martha said in a whisper, trying to get her voice back. "Does Kurt know?"  
  
Diane shook her head slowly. "No, he doesn't know, he never knew... It's a long story, but that's why I've been so upset since I saw you two together... I've wanted to tell you all this time ago, but I never found the right moment..."  
  
"The right moment?" Martha sounded almost incredulous. "Is there an opportune moment to say something like that?" Her eyes revealed anger, disappointment and even a little fear.  
  
Diane tried to speak calmly. "Martha... Iʼve always wanted the best for you, I did all this just to protect you..."  
  
“How could you believe that the best thing for me was this? I thought I knew you, mom... What kind of person are you, Diane!?” Martha shouted, feeling like the first tears were falling from her eyes.  
  
Diane couldn't stop crying, her heart was beating so fast, her breathing was racing. She tried to remind herself that she should calm down for the baby's health, although at that moment she saw Martha's eyes and her heart squeezed. "Forgive me, Martha... You have every right in the world to not wanting to talk to me again for the rest of your life... I just ask you not to tell Kurt, I want to do it myself..." Diane mentioned as her face was bathed in her own tears.  
  
She needed to get out of there, gave her daughter one last look and left the apartment. Diane took her bag and went out the front door knowing very well where she was going. She had to finish her job, if she didn't talk to Kurt in that moment, she wouldn't talk to her anymore. _He must know the truth right now._


	22. "Accident"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Here I am again... I think from the chapter title you can intuit what this is all about. Just don't hate me, everything has its motive in this story.
> 
> Thank you very much for reading and I will be reading your comments!

He frowned at the time it was. Diane had sent him a text message saying that she had to speak with him urgently two hours ago and she had not arrived at his house yet. Kurt ran a hand through his hair and sighed, Diane was not the kind of person who was late, much less when it came to something as urgent as she had described in the text message. He sat in the leather chair he had in the living room of his house, took his phone and dialed Diane's number again without getting any answer, he was directly sent to voicemail, as if Diane's phone was off. Kurt threw the phone on the couch, closed his eyes and dropped his head on the back of the couch. _Something was up_ , Diane never had her phone off, her clients had called her in the early morning countless times because they had entered in some trouble, and she always answered the phone no matter what time it was. _Something had happened to her_ , Kurt thought. Suddenly he remembered that day Martha was coming from New York to spend a few days with her mother in Chicago, so, perhaps, something had happened to Martha and that is why Diane wasnʼt answering her calls. Kurt picked up his phone again, looked for Martha's name and brought his phone to his ear the moment he was calling. Direct to voicemail again. He had already started to get scared, this was no longer a situation that could normally occur.  
  
Kurt stayed a few minutes thinking about what might have happened. Unable to withstand the negative thoughts that his mind sent him, he got up from his place on the couch, took his phone, his leather jacket and began walking towards the front door of the house. The soft vibration of his phone in his hand made him stop in front of the door, without even seeing who was calling, he answered the call and put his phone to his ear.  
  
"Hello?" Kurt answered, praying silently to hear Diane's voice on the other side of the line.  
  
"Mr. McVeigh?" asked a monotonous voice from the other side. She was a young woman, _maybe less than 30 years old_ , Kurt thought.  
  
Kurt frowned at the unknown voice that asked on the other side of the line, he looked at the phone in an attempt to read the number calling him, but found an 'unknown number' in front of his eyes. "Yes, it's me..." he replied bringing his phone back to his ear. "Who speaks?"  
  
"I'm talking from the Chicago Metropolitan Hospital, are you Diane Lockhart's husband?" asked the same youthful voice. She sounded monotonous, as if she had already asked that same question a million times in her life.  
  
Kurt's heart squeezed and began to pound. _Why did they call him from a hospital asking that? Diane! Something had happened to Diane!_ A part of him already knew that something had happened to her, he had been able to feel it.  
  
Kurt gained strength, swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, without getting any results, and struggled to answer the question the young woman had asked him on the other side of the line. "Yes, I am... What happened?" His voice was so low that surely the young receptionist had had to make an effort to listen to him.  
  
  
\---------------------------  
  
  
The light pierced through her eyelids still closed. The noises around her were barely understandable to her, she heard people talking and the noise of the steps of several people, but she couldn't understand anything, all the sounds rumbled in her head like a drill. _Where was her? What had happened to her?_ Those were the first questions that her mind asked herself. Diane made an effort to open her eyes without result, her whole body was numb. She felt that she could not move because of her body's tiredness.  
  
With a lot of effort, she managed to move the fingers of her right hand, but this caused her so much pain that it ran through her entire right arm and immediately became completely still again. She couldn't remember anything, she didn't understand what was happening. _Was she dead? Why did she feel so much pain if she was dead?_ She tried to move her head and a strong pain went through her completely, she managed to let out a low moan because of the deep pain that ran through her entire head.  
  
"She is aware."  
  
It was the first complete sentence she could understand, but she didn't understand why they said it, or who had said it. _She was alive!_ The voices of other people, _three? Maybe four_ , bounced inside her mind leaving her completely stunned. She felt someone touch her wrist and her whole body shuddered.  
  
“Mrs. Lockhart? Can you hear me?"  
  
She made a small movement with her head in assent, although at the second she regretted that, since she felt totally dizzy. She tried again to send all her forces to her eyes to open them, she succeeded after several attempts but, when she opened her eyes completely, she wanted to close them again, Diane looked around and felt like vomiting. She was in a hospital, she was in a hospital bed with two doctors and two nurses around her bed watching her. Then all the memories came back to her mind, _her discussion with Martha, the last curve before reaching Kurt's house, the impact..._ Diane closed her eyes tightly when she felt a strong pain in her head. She wanted to cry, but she was so numb that she didn't manage to do that, she just opened her eyes again and turned her gaze to one of the doctors, hoping to get the answers to all the questions she hadn't been able to ask yet.  
  
The doctor gave her an encouraging smile, and began to speak. “Good evening, Mrs. Lockhart. I am Dr. Méndez, director of the Metropolitan Hospital. You suffered an accident, but you are out of danger and that is the main thing…” the doctor's voice was low and calm, as if he already knew that she could not tolerate loud noises at that moment.  
  
Before the doctor could continue explaining, Diane interrupted him in a hoarse and unaudible voice. "Accident?"  
  
Dr. Méndez nodded. “Yes, Mrs. Lockhart. But the important thing is that you are fine, we managed to stabilize you and you are out of danger,” he explained, although he spoke again when he saw Diane trying to speak again. "I understand all the questions that are going through your mind at this time, but now you must rest, we can talk when you recover," the doctor kindly said, while administering something in Diane's serum that she failed to identify. "This will help you sleep for a couple of hours... When you feel better, I'll answer all your questions, okay?"  
  
Diane could only nod before feeling the effects of whatever the doctor had given her in the body and began to fall asleep. At the moment just before falling asleep, she remembered the baby in her mind, but it was too late to ask about that.  
  
  
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He arrived at the hospital guard practically running. Upon arriving at the reception he identified himself as Diane Lockhart's husband, wishing that they explained something of what had happened there. They hadn't wanted to say anything on the phone, and he had already thought of the worst. The receptionist invited him to come to the waiting room, forcing him to wait for the doctor on duty who attended Diane to speak with him. Kurt simply nodded, forcing himself not to despair and filling a young receptionist with questions that might barely know what happened. The receptionistʼs voice saying, _your wife has suffered an accident_ , kept bouncing in his mind. He couldn't lose Diane now. _He could not_. They were so many years away, trying to stop loving each other, right now he couldn't imagine a life without Diane.  
  
When he entered the waiting room and looked around the few people who were there, he was surprised to see a known person. Martha was sitting in one of the remote chairs, with her elbows resting on her legs while her head was in her hands. From where he was he could guess that the young woman was crying, and could not prevent his heart from falling because of the image he had in front of him.  
  
Kurt approached her slowly and put a hand on her shoulder, the young woman started to feel it and raised her head immediately to look at him. Without hesitation, Martha got up and wrapped Kurt in a big hug, while she cried louder and louder. Kurt ran a hand through Martha's hair in an attempt to comfort her, Martha simply held on to the older man and cried. They were like this for several minutes, until she was the one who separated from him and looked at him with a sad smile.  
  
"Sorry... I wet your entire shirt..." Martha murmured shyly, as she wiped her tears with a disposable handkerchief she took from her jacket pocket.  
  
"Don't worry..." Kurt mentioned shaking his head, his shirt was the last thing he had in mind at the time. "Did they tell you something?"   
  
Martha shook her head and shrugged, sitting back in her chair. "No... I've only been told to wait here for the doctor who is taking care of her."  
  
Kurt nodded and sat in the chair next to Martha's. He felt exhausted and still didn't know anything about what had happened to Diane, he needed to go through the guard and demand someone to tell him something about his wife. Kurt leaned his head against the wall behind him and closed his eyes breathing deeply, trying to calm his negative thoughts a little.  
  
Martha, meanwhile, still had tears falling down her pale face. She couldn't stop thinking that she had her father sitting next to her, the man who she had unconsciously been searching for so many years and now, that she finally had him next to her, he didn't even know about her existence. She was so angry at her mother for lying to her, for hiding such a secret for so many years. Martha had come to think that she no longer cared for her father's presence in her life, her mother had managed to convince her that she would never need him while she was there to give her everything she needed. But now she realized how wrong she was, she had been waiting to meet her father all her life and now, that the moment had come, she could not speak with him because she had promised her mother that she wouldnʼt say anything. Anyway, that moment was not appropriate to talk about this. She didn't know if Diane was dying somewhere in that hospital, Martha couldn't remember the anger towards her, now all Martha wanted was to be told that her mother was fine.  
  
A long hour passed, or maybe more than an hour, before they saw a man wearing a white coat step out of one of the doors. He seemed older, Martha came to think that maybe he was older than his mother because of his white hair, although all these thoughts were left behind when the doctor said the following sentence:  
  
"Relatives of Diane Lockhart?"  
  
Father and daughter stopped immediately from their chairs and shouted in unison. "Here we are," they both looked at each other with fearful eyes before looking back at the doctor who was approaching them.  
  
The doctor stood in front of them and gave them an encouraging smile. "I am Dr. Méndez, one of the doctors in charge of the guard tonight and in charge of taking care of Diane Lockhart... First I will tell you what you most want to know, Mrs. Lockhart is well and out of danger" he can't help smiling even more when he saw the relieved faces of the people in front of him. “Even though the accident was complex, she only has a few broken ribs and a fractured fibula in her right ankle, apart from several strokes throughout her body. The only thing that can be a little worrying is the concussion that she suffered, although I believe that with rest and patience, it will heal in a couple of weeks, it had to be sutured, but they are only a few points.”  
  
"And the baby?" Martha asked, completely forgetting Kurt's presence beside her, who looked at her with wide eyes.  
  
The doctor frowned and shook his head several times. “I'm sorry, but we couldn't do anything for him… We managed to stop the bleeding caused by the abortion, but we couldn't determine if Mrs. Lockhart lost the baby because of the impact of her belly against the steering wheel of the car or if the abortion happened before the accident…"  
  
Martha put both hands to her mouth, raising her eyebrows up, trying not to cry in front of the doctor. But Kurt frowned, not understanding what the doctor had just said.  
  
"What baby? Was Diane pregnant?” Kurt asked, shaking his head slightly to the side.  
  
Dr. Méndez nodded slowly. "Excuse me... I thought you both knew it... Mrs. Lockhart was pregnant, between 4 and 6 weeks at the time of the accident... The baby was too small to endure such an accident."  
  
Kurt opened his eyes very wide trying to process what Dr. Méndez had just said, he walked unconsciously backwards until he sat in the chair behind him, not worrying at all about Martha and the doctorʼs worried looks at him. This was what Diane had wanted to tell him, _they were going to have a baby together and he never had the chance to know it, he could never feel it_ , he couldn't even enjoy the news properly. He could not speak, _he did not want to speak_. He wanted to run and run, until he came to realize believing that this was a dream, waking up and living that beautiful news with Diane. He needed to go back in time, he needed to have known. He needed to hug Diane very tight at that moment.


	23. "Wake"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again to my beautiful readers!
> 
> First of all, I must apologize for the delay ... In my country we are on exam dates and it is difficult for me and my friend to find time ... I promise that I will try not to spend so much time!
> 
> Enjoy your reading!

Kurt frowned when Martha didn't want to go in to see her mother. He was beginning to suspect that something was wrong between them, since anyone in Martha's place would run to see her mother, but he thought that was not the time to ask what was going on between them, he and Martha were very moved with the whole situation of the last hours. Kurt simply nodded at the girl and left the waiting room through the same door that Dr. Méndez had entered a few minutes ago. He began to walk down the hall that led to Diane's room, trying to mentally prepare for what he would see when he entered the room. He had to take a deep breath before opening the door. Dr. Méndez had explained that Diane would be asleep for the next few hours because of the sedative she had been given because she needed to rest, but that did not prevent family members from coming to see her, the doctor explained that maybe, if she was with someone she knew when she woke upo, she would be calmer, since there was a chance she wouldn't remember everything that had happened.  
  
When he opened the door, he couldn't keep his heart from skipping. His gaze quickly turned to the sleeping body that was on the stretcher. Diane was paler than normal, and this made the bruises on her body even more noticeable, her right ankle was placed on top of a high cushion and her head had a small bandage on the left side. Kurt took one of the chairs at the end of the room and placed it next to Diane's bed, sitting next to her. Taking a look closer at her, he couldn't help but shuddering, she was connected to several machines that controlled her breathing and her heartbeat, among other things. Dr. Méndez had explained that, because of the concussion, they had to control that nothing happened with her brain while she was asleep. Kurt had to struggle not to collapse in front of her, he couldn't cry at that moment, when Diane woke up he had to be strong for her.   
  
He had never considered having children and he blamed not founding the right woman to have them for that. Diane was the only woman with whom he might have thought about having a child, but she disappeared from his life before they could both consider it. Now they were older to have them, although he knew Diane was still young enough to get pregnant, they would never have considered it specifically. Finding out that she had been pregnant and not even being able to celebrate that child's conception was driving him crazy. He thought maybe Diane didn't know about that pregnancy either, or maybe those were the news she was going to give him at home. Kurt couldn't help but worrying about not having been able to avoid the accident, maybe if he had left his house before or if he had told her that he was going to her apartment instead of Diane driving forty miles to his house, this would have been avoided.  
  
Kurt took Diane's hand in his and placed a tender kiss on the top of her hand, ignoring for a moment the serum that was perfectly placed a little higher on her wrist. Diane moved the hand that Kurt had taken and squeezed his hand a little without waking up, he could not prevent the tears from falling when he felt that. She was there, she was fine and she was with him. _He was so afraid of losing her!_ He knew that the doctors had said that it would be fine, that within all the negative possibilities she had, the accident had turned out quite well, but until she woke up, he would not be calm.  
  
"Di... My love..." he knew she was listening to him, so he felt the needed of speaking to her, although he was not very good at formulating the correct sentences. “You'll be fine, luckily nothing serious has happened to you, honey… I'll always be here with you, right? You just rest, you have to get well… We have a lot to live together, Diane.”  
  
He stood there, stroking her hand with his thumbs, thinking about how much he loved that woman and that, if something all this had taught to him was that he would never let life separate them again. He couldn't even bear the thought of losing her once more.  
  
  
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Her whole body ached, but mainly, her head was about to explode. She was uncomfortable, she wanted to move, she felt that she had been in the same position all her life, apart from the fact that she was already quite restless. She tried to change her position on the stretcher but a sharp pain in her right ankle forced her to remain still. She frowned, her eyes still closed, and let out a small moan of pain. After a moment, she opened her eyes slowly, blinking several times so she could get used to the light in the room. Her gaze wandered all over the room until he met two tired green eyes, both were red from the tears he had shed and Diane shivered at the thought that he was like that because of her. She remembered everything that had happened, she couldn't bear seeing him suffering for her. Neither of them said anything, they only looked at each other for several minutes. Diane was not surprised to see him sitting there, taking her hand in his, she knew he was there even when she was asleep. But after waking up and seeing him, she felt relief. He was there with her, taking care of her, _Martha hadn't talked to him yet_ , Diane thought. Remembering the argue with her daughter, Diane's eyes filled with tears and she did nothing to not shed them. She felt Kurt's hand rising to wipe the tears from her cheeks, then he leaned forward a little and left a small kiss on Diane's cheek.  
  
"How do you feel?" he asked, breaking the silence in the room.  
  
Diane smiled at Kurt's question and shook her head, gesturing in pain. "Tired... or I should say, exhausted..." her voice was hoarse and weak.  
  
“Don't move your head. You have a concussion, Di… You will hurt yourself,” Kurt explained, stroking her forehead with one of his hands.  
  
"I don't know what happened," she murmured, frowning, looking a bit annoyed at not remembering anything specific about the accident, letting her tears fall again. "I was driving to your house, feeling an impact and then waking up here."  
  
"The only thing I know is that you had an accident coming to my house, a drunk driver went right into you but I don't know anything else..." Kurt shrugged and tried to calm her down by slowly stroking her hand. "Quiet... Everything is fine... From what I heard, the police already have that man... And you're out of danger, honey."  
  
Diane nodded slowly, remembering the wound in her head. You could say that she could even smile at Kurt until she remembered her baby and, quickly, her smile faded and her hands went to her belly, without noticing Kurt's worried look. She looked at her belly and turned her gaze to Kurt, he had begun to shed some tears, trying to find a way to tell Diane what had happened to her baby. She looked at him arching an eyebrow, trying to discover in his gaze something that would tell her what was going on with him.  
  
"What's wrong with you, Kurt?" she asked, straightening a little on the stretcher, trying to be more upright. “Kurt, I'm fine! Don't cry…” Diane tried to comfort him, but only got Kurt to look and shake his head.  
  
"I know... I know you're fine, and that reassures me," Kurt replied and gave her a sad smile. He was silent for a moment, trying to find the right words to tell Diane the news. "I think I prefer to tell you, before you find out by a doctor..."  
  
For some strange reason, by instinct or a simple chance, Diane brought her two hands to her belly again and intensified her grip. "What happened?" Her voice was barely an audible whisper.  
  
Kurt took a breath, uselessly trying to undo the knot that had formed in his stomach. "Dr. Méndez, when he told us about what had happened to you, he talked about your pregnancy" Diane's eyes widened trying to speak, although he raised a hand in front of her. "I know, Diane... I don't know when you found out about it, if they had already discovered it, although by your reaction I can see that you already knew it, I don't know if you were going to tell me... Things are different now, honey" Kurt took a second to Breathe deeply again. "In the accident you suffered a miscarriage, Diane... The doctors managed to stop the bleeding but the baby did not succeed, it was very small..." Kurt said the last words in a low whisper and understandable.   
  
Diane's eyes closed tightly. The hands released her belly and went to her face, covering her entire face, trying to cover the tearing sob that she released a second later, and then starting to cry without comfort. She had started to fond of the baby, she had felt that beautiful tickle again that made her think she had a life inside her, and Diane loved that child despite everything that had happened. But she knew this could happen, the chances of her losing that child were very high. When she went to the hospital with Will the previous afternoon, the doctor who had treated her at the guard recommended rest because of this, it was a high-risk pregnancy, for herself and for the unborn child. She hoped that everything went well, but that did not happen.    
  
Suddenly she felt two strong arms hugging her tightly, forcing her to cry even more, without suppressing her sobs and screams. Kurt was also crying silently, while holding Diane's fragile body. He had sat on the edge of her gurney and had managed to get Diane to sit a little so she could take her body better and not hurting her. She never complained, although it was difficult for him to know because her crying was so loud that no one could hear a complain from him. They were both like this for several minutes, hugging each other without saying a single word. Kurt refused to let her go until Diane's crying was slowly calming down, only then he would release her a bit so he could look at her in the eye.  
  
"Sorry" Diane's broken voice echoed in the empty room, even though she spoke extremely low.  
  
"Why are you saying that?" Kurt asked cautiously, trying not to start a crying attack on her again.  
  
"I... I should have told you this before, Kurt... I just didn't know..." She shook her head and took a moment to continue. "I ignored the symptoms for a long time, maybe if I had paid more attention..."  
  
"It's not your fault, Diane," Kurt said imposing himself, before she could even say it. "You haven't done anything wrong..."  
  
"I've done a lot of bad things, Kurt..." She looked away from his eyes and placed her in his lap. “I shouldn't have driven to your house today. The doctor who was on duty in the afternoon told me to rest and I ignored him, maybe if I hadn't been so stubborn..."  
  
"We didn't lose the baby because of not resting..." Kurt tried to reason with her, although he knew it would be impossible. "It was the fault of the drunk driver who crossed your path, but it was not your fault..."  
  
“I could have asked you to go to my apartment, but I…” there she remembered the whole discussion with Martha and she felt sick. She looked at the empty room and thought that Martha was not there, because her daughter did not want to see her, that thought made her feel nauseous and dizzy.  
  
"Whatʼs going on? Are you feeling well? ”Kurt asked worriedly about the change in Diane's gaze.  
  
Diane shook her head slowly, she felt like vomiting and accepted Kurt's help to lay back on her stretcher because between her concussion and her broken ribs, she couldn't do it alone without hurting herself further.  
  
"I think I should call the doctor..." Kurt said in a worried voice, as he got up from Diane's couch and headed to the door, but he stopped when he heard Diane's voice.  
  
"Is Martha here?" She asked weakly.  
  
Kurt nodded and frowned. "Do you want to see her? She let me come in first, but I don't really understand what happened between you two…”  
  
Diane shrugged. "We had an argument..." remembering it, she looked down again and took several deep breaths trying to suppress her nausea, despite the pain she felt in her ribs. "Can you..." she hesitated between asking the question or not, she opted for the first option. “Can you tell her I want to see her? Is it out there?”  
  
Kurt nodded again and gave her a reassuring smile. "She's out here, I'll call her out..." he approached Diane's stretcher again and placed a sweet and warm kiss on her lips. "I'll go find the doctor and call Will, he will kill me if I don't tell him you're here."  
  
The last thing Kurt said made Diane smile, she nodded slowly and watched her man leave the room closing the door behind him.  
  
When the door closed completely, Diane's smile disappeared from her face completely. Tears formed again in her eyes when her hands slowly caressed her belly, again, empty. This would be hard for her to overcome, this was the last thing she wanted to happen. And the worst part was still missing, she had to talk to Kurt sooner or later. She was going to be alone, she deserved to be completely alone for all the damage she had done to those she loved the most. Kurt, Martha and that baby, who didn't even have a name. She deserved the worst, she deserved everything that had happened to her and what would happen to her when the truth came to light. She felt hate, anger and eagerness to cry and shout how angry she was with herself. She straightened on her stretcher, ignoring all the pain that woke her up when she did it so abruptly. She grabbed the nightstand that she had on the table next to her and threw it against the wall in front of her, making it burst into a thousand pieces. Diane placed one hand in her head wound and another one in her ribs and simply cried. Scream. Sob. She hated herself. She hated herself at that precise moment.


	24. "Was not your fault"

After leaving Diane's room, Kurt released the sob that it had been trapped in his throat for several hours ago. Seeing Diane, the love of his life, thus, broken, weak, broke his heart into a thousand pieces. This was not the woman he knew, Diane was a woman with a huge strength, she was so strong that he had never seen her cry so much in his life, he came to think that nothing could tear her down, but of course, he would never have imagined the last hours events.  
  
Kurt looked at the clock on his left arm and frowned at seeing what he already believed, _it was almost midnight_. He thought that maybe it must be too late to make the call he had planned to make from the moment he saw Diane, maybe with this call he could piss off Will for waking him up and then he could get angry about that, but Kurt knew how much Will loved Diane and he would surely be very angry if Kurt left that call for the next day. Will had as much right as Kurt to be there accompanying his best friend, maybe he had more right than Kurt to be there.  
  
He was so deconcentrated that when he took his phone to make that call, he remembered that he didn't have Will's number. Kurt frowned trying to figure out how to get that number, since Diane had not been given the few things that had survived the accident. Kurt thought about Martha, surely she would have Will's number on her phone. The problem now was to find Martha, he had thought she would be out of her mother's room waiting to see her, but when he left he did not find her nearby and this made him worry about what had happened between them.  
  
Kurt approached the first nurse he saw and asked her to look for Diane's doctor to inform him that she had already woken up, the nurse nodded and walked to the opposite side. Kurt had to take a deep breath before starting to walk down the corridor that led to the hospital waiting room, looking for Martha in every corner he saw, he came to think that she had left the hospital until he entered the waiting room and found her sitting in the same chair that he had seen her when he arrived at the hospital several hours ago. The difference is that now Martha was with a cup of coffee in her hands and her eyes were lost somewhere in the room, so much that she did not notice Kurt's presence in the room. He ran a hand through his hair before starting to walk towards her. Martha seemed to see him coming, as she turned her gaze to him, but she said nothing. She simply stared at him until Kurt sat in the chair beside her, then her gaze was lost again.  
  
They both remained silent for several minutes until Kurt remembered why he was looking for Martha and turned a little in his chair to look at her.  
  
"Martha..." Kurt spoke low, so much that only Martha could hear him. "I don't know whatʼs going on between you and your mother, I just hope you two solve it soon because she really needs you now..."  
  
Martha turned her gaze to him and nodded several times. “I will talk to her. I just needed time to think…” her voice was low and cut, as if she was making a great effort to speak.  
  
Kurt nodded. "I'll go to her room, let me know when you want to go..." he waited for Martha to answer, but she just nodded without even looking at him. He stood up from the chair, and when he was about to leave, he turned to her again and looked at her. "Martha... Have you told Will about what happened?"  
  
Martha looked at him again and blinked several times trying to understand what he was saying, when she managed to fall into reality she opened her celestial eyes enormously. "No... I have not... Oh my God, he will be very angry if I don't call him now!"  
  
Kurt tried to smile in an attempt to reassure her, but he failed. "Do you want me to call Will while you go to see your mother?"   
  
She hesitated, she didn't know if she was ready to see Diane after the painful argument they had. Martha couldn't stop thinking that all this was a signal, some kind of message. She and her mother had never discussed the way they had done that day, Martha had really thought about never seeing her mother again. But life gave her this, the accident had made her wonder if she could really live without seeing Diane again, and clearly the answer was no, she couldn't live without Diane. They had many things to talk about, and Martha would probably be mad at her for a long time, but not enough to get her out of her life forever. During the hours she was waiting for the doctor to give them a report on Diane's health, Martha came to imagine that her mother had died and that idea scared her so much that she would never allow herself to be separated from her.  
  
Martha looked at Kurt for a moment, then she got up from her chair, threw the disposable coffee cup into a basket and headed towards Kurt nodding her head. "I'll go see my mother, now I'll send you Will's number... Doesn't it bother you to call him?"  
  
Kurt smiled sincerely when he heard that Martha would see Diane, and then he shook his head answering his question. "No, Martha... You just go to see Diane that Iʼll take care of this..."  
  
The young woman looked at the old man for a few seconds and nodded, then threw herself into his arms hugging him with all her strength. She needed to shout at that man that he was her father, that father that she had needed so many years of her life, that it had been denied to her all those years. But she knew that this was not the right time to do it, she had to respect her mother and the promise she had made. Martha wouldn't say anything for now. Instead, she cringed in the strong arms of the older man and murmured very low. "I'm afraid, Kurt."  
  
Kurt shook his head and pulled her away from him, without letting go of his shoulders. "No, girl... Donʼt be... Your mother is fine, she only needs time to heal her wounds... But she counts on us to support her in this difficult moment..."  
  
Martha looked at him and felt her own tears rolling down her cheeks. “God, I've been a fool! You have also lost a son, Kurt!” Martha's voice was full of guilt, she had not realized at all that he was the other part suffering that loss. "How do you feel?"  
  
Kurt smiled faintly and placed a sweet kiss on Martha's forehead. "Don't worry about me... I'm fine... I just didn't expect all this... But I'll get over it... Go see your mother, she really needs you by her side."   
  
The young woman nodded, she removed her arms from the older man so she could wipe her tears a little. Martha gave him a small smile and began walking towards the exit of the waiting room.  
  
Kurt looked at her until the door closed behind her, then he sighed and sat back in his chair. He had too many things to process, and he was so tired.  
  
  
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Martha arrived at the door of her mother's room, stood in front of it and took a small moment before going in. She had to leave all her negative energy out of there, her mother had already too many things going on to bother her with her problems. She sighed and opened the door, but as she entered she frowned at what she saw. On the floor there was what used to be a porcelain lamp, but now there were hundreds of pieces of porcelain scattered all over the floor. She looked up a little more to meet the eyes of the most important woman in her life, who was staring at her from her position on the stretcher. Martha entered the room and closed the door once inside, she slowly approached the stretcher where her mother was and sat in the chair next to her, without breaking the eye contact they had created for a second.  
  
Martha was the one who broke the heavy silence that had formed. "Do you knew that they will charge you for the lamp that you have broken?" She asked with a smile on her face.  
  
Diane shrugged and broke the eye contact to look at the remains of the lamp on the floor. She was fully lying down, her head was on the verge of bursting and she could no longer bear not being able to make a single movement without feeling a sharp pain in her abdomen. "I needed to break something" her voice was hoarse and cut for crying so much.  
  
"How do you feel?" Martha knew it was a useless question, she knew how her mother was, she could see it in her eyes, but she also knew that she should start talking to her.  
  
Diane looked at her again and kept her gaze on her before answering. "I don't know" she really didn't know, she didn't know how to feel, she just believed that everything she had done, and what she kept doing, was wrong. "I just... I think I was hoping he would live..." her eyes were no longer on her daughter, she was looking at some point on the ceiling of the room.  
  
The young woman had to take a moment to understand who she was talking about, but when she understood, her heart squeezed. "It wasn't your fault, mom..."  
  
Her mother shrugged. "I don't know... I did everything wrong... I deserve all this..." her voice was a small whisper.  
  
"No!" The firmness in Martha's voice surprised both of them, so much so that Diane's gaze shot up at her daughter, her eyes as wide as she could under the circumstances. "You don't deserve any of this, mom... You made mistakes, it's true, but that doesn't make you a bad person..."  
  
Diane's eyes filled with tears and she didn't bother not to let them fall. "You do not understand it…"  
  
"Yes, I understand. I am one of the people to whom this happened, just a few hours ago I had no father and now I have a wonderful man occupying that place... Maybe you should have told me before? Probably. Does this whole situation hurt me? Yes it does. But I can't hate you, mom…” She paused to take her mother's hand in her. "You're not a bad person, we all make mistakes..."  
  
Diane shook her head. "Why are you telling me these things now?"  
  
"Because I feel you need to hear all this right now... I love you, mom... I love you very much... And yes, I was very angry with you, I have even thought about disappearing and never seeing you again..." Martha felt how her motherʼs grabbing intensified, she simply caressed her slowly in an attempt to reassure her. "I will not, I could not bear not seeing you again."  
  
"You would have the right to do it..." Diane couldn't stop crying, she felt so much guilt in herself that she couldn't accept the words her daughter was saying. "Are you telling me you forgive me?"  
  
Martha shrugged. "I am telling you that I am doing my best to do it, it is not easy... But I will not leave you, I promise that I will not leave you alone with all this..."  
  
Diane nodded several times slowly, remembering the concussion she had, and she just stayed that way. Mother and daughter were united by the hands, both lost in their thoughts, but still looking at each other. They both cried, it was a complicated situation for them, for different reasons to each of them.  
  
A knock on the door made them break eye contact and move their eyes to the sound. When the door opened, they saw Dr. Méndez smiling at both of them and then he frowned at the remains of porcelain on the floor.  
  
"We will pay for that..." Martha mentioned, wiping away tears from her eyes.  
  
"Don't worry..." the doctor mentioned, sounding funny. "You would be very surprised to know how many times this happens here."  
  
Martha smiled under her tears and looked at her mother, who kept her eyes looking at the floor feeling ashamed.   
  
"Diane?" The doctor called slowly, trying to make Diane look at him. She only looked up a little, but didn't say a word. "I need you to tell me what you feel, in case we didnʼt see something when we checked you..."  
  
She sighed and tried to straighten in place on the stretcher, without getting any results. Martha helped her sit a little straighter. "My head hurts..." she began in a very weak voice. "Although Kurt has told me that it is because of a concussion" upon seeing the doctor nod, she decided to continue. "My abdomen also hurts, although I don't understand very well why... And one of my ankles is bandaged and still, I think I have hurt myself..."  
  
"Just that?" the doctor asked cautiously.  
  
"Well... My whole body hurts... I feel like they've passed me with a steamroller..." Diane mentioned, trying to set a productive example.  
  
"That hasn't happened to you, but it's almost the same..." the doctor explained with a smile. "Do you not feel any pain in your belly or in your lower part?" Dr. Méndez asked, approaching her to control her serum and the rest of the devices to which she was connected.  
  
Diane shook her head, bringing a hand toward that place. “I've lost it, right?” She already knew the answer, but she needed everyone to confirm it.  
  
The doctor turned his gaze from the machines to her, and looked at her sadly. He hated to give that news, but, within his trade, he had no choice. “Yes, Diane… I'm sorry… In the accident, your airbag didn't open in time to stop the impact of the car's steering wheel on your belly. You suffered a hemorrhage that we couldn't stop in time..."  
  
Diane nodded several times, returning her gaze somewhere on the ceiling. "It was very small…"  
  
The doctor placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded. "I don't know if it's any consolation, but you shouldn't feel guilty... You couldn't have any more children, Mrs. Lockhart... According to what I read in your medical record, it was a miracle that you were pregnant..." he made a pause to see Diane's reaction, but there was none, her gaze was still lost. "The chances of a miscarriage were too high... This would have happened even if the accident hadn't happened..."  
  
She only nodded once and, seeing no reaction in her, Martha began to ask the doctor about her mother's health from now on to know about how she would have to take care from now on. But Diane didn't hear anything else, her mind was far from that scene in the hospital. She surprised herself when she found herself thinking about her fear of hospitals, although now that was the least thing that mattered.


	25. "The pain"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, beautiful! Although I tried to upload even two chapters per week, it has been impossible! My schedules are crazy!
> 
> It may take me a while to publish the next chapter, since I want to have the next two ready so I can upload them a few days apart.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the chapter, I will be reading your comments as always!

He entered the hospital as calmly as he could, although he still seemed desperate. He looked around the guard room until he found the reception, approached there trying not to run and look crazier than it already seemed. The call woke him up, it was strange that he fell asleep before midnight, but that day he was incredibly tired and went to bed at 11 p.m. He didn't usually answer calls from unknown numbers but, this time, something prompted him to do it. When he heard Kurt's voice on the other side his heart stopped, he could feel that something had happened with Diane, so much that he didn't even give the older man time to explain what had happened, Will only asked what hospital she was in and, getting the answer, he hung up the call quickly as he got up from his bed. Will wore a wrinkled and dirty jean he had left lying on the floor the night before, old sneakers, a sports jacket and the shirt he wore to sleep. It wasn't the best of his outfits, but he didn't care, he just wanted to know how Diane was.  
  
The receptionist saw him approaching and lifted her head from the screen of her computer, she thought about how handsome that man was despite his sloppy outfit, the woman smiled to herself and looked at him carefully waiting for the question he surely wanted to ask.  
  
"Good evening, how can I help you?" the young receptionist asked in her monotonous voice.   
  
"Lockhart... Diane Lockhart," Will said impatiently. "She had an accident, she was admitted a few hours ago..."  
  
"Room 378," the receptionist said interrupting Will. She lifted her head from the computer screen and looked at him with a smile. "That door over there," she indicated with her hand and did not continue until she saw Will's assent. "It will take you to the waiting room, from there you have to follow the signs."  
  
It took Will a few seconds to process everything the young woman had just told him, then he nodded several times and looked back at the young woman. "Thank you very much," he went on to say before he practically ran to where the young woman had indicated.  
  
Upon entering the waiting room, the first thing he saw was Kurt sitting in one of the back chairs. Will approached him walking slowly, it was strange that he was not in Diane's room next to her, although when he approached him he could see why, the older man looked extremely tired. Will sat next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder as a sign of support, but he said nothing. Even though he didn't know anything about what had happened, he knew that if Kurt was sitting in the waiting room, so quiet, Diane was fine.  
  
"You arrived quickly..." it was Kurt who broke the silence, his voice was low and hoarse, and made that comment to talk about something, he could no longer stand the silence and his thoughts.  
  
Will turned his head to look at him and shrugged. "I came as soon as I could..." he explained in the same tone as Kurt, although Will's voice was not hoarse. "How is she?" He took a few seconds to ask that question, indeed a part of him was afraid of the answer.  
  
"I don't know." Kurt made contact with Will's gaze for a moment, Will understood that Kurt was referring to Diane's mood and mental state, not his physical health. "I was only a few minutes with her after she woke up... Now Martha is with her..." Will could also notice Kurt's enormous effort to explain to him how the last hours were. "She is well physically speaking... Well, she is the best she can be after such an accident..."  
  
Will nodded and moved his gaze forward again. "That's important... But how did this happen?" Will asked without looking back at Kurt, but feeling that the older man was looking at him. "I mean... Today afternoon... or i should say, yesterday afternoon, I was with her and we had agreed that she would rest..." Will stopped, trying to stop his words in case that the man next to him did not know anything, he opened his eyes enormously and looked at Kurt.  
  
Kurt shook his head before Will had time to ask the question he had in mind. "No, Will... Diane lost the baby..." his voice went off with the running of the sentence he had to say, the last word was practically a low whisper. Will tried to speak again, but Kurt interrupted him again. "I assumed you knew... She trusts anything to you..."  
  
The younger man nodded slowly and ran one of his hands through his hair showing his nervousness at the situation, he knew he should keep talking but he couldn't find the right way to do it. After a few seconds, which seemed like long minutes, he found the words he was looking for, although he wasn't sure if they were the right ones. "How do you feel?" Will knew that Kurt didn’t know about the pregnancy until the accident, although he thought maybe Diane could have called him before, but he didn't think that was possible.  
  
"Weird..." Kurt replied, trying to put into words everything he was feeling at the time, although that word was the one that described practically all his last hours since the young hospital receptionist called him. "You should know that I did not know about this pregnancy..." after seeing that Will nodded, the older man continued. "I feel so strange... As if they had taken from my hands what I was going to love more than anything in my life but that I didn't even have the privilege to know about its existence even though its birth was still a possibility..." Kurt took all the words together in a coherent sentence, and this surprised himself. He was opening his heart to a person he didn't know, but there was something inside him that told him that Will was the right person with whom he should talk about this.  
  
Will was also surprised at the release of the older man, they had been together only a few of times and they both did not have enough confidence to speak in this way, although it was also true that now the circumstances were different and, indeed, the little trust mattered. "She wanted to tell you... She was only afraid."  
  
"I know," Kurt muttered, nodding. "I know her better than anyone in this world... But I don't understand what she could be afraid of..."  
  
The younger man shrugged and decided to leave the subject there, he did not know how far he could talk without revealing something Diane had entrusted to him.  
  
  
\--------------------------  
  
  
She opened her eyes slowly and closed them again when she met a strong glow in front of her, she repeated this action several times until her eyes got used to the light in the room. There was more light than when she had fallen asleep, so she looked where that strong glow came from and she could see that it was dawning. _What time would it be?_ She asked herself, _probably very early_ , although she had no way of finding out.  
  
Her gaze shifted from the window, which she had next to her, to her opposite hand still collected to the intravenous line, which was in her daughter’s hand, but she was leaning back, resting on the back of the plastic chair, totally asleep. Diane tried to smile but failed in the attempt, she just ran her free hand over one of her daughter's hands, drawing abstract patterns with her fingers. After a few seconds, her gaze scanned the room again to meet two people who did not expect to see there, this made her open her eyes in amazement. Will was asleep in one of the plastic chairs, just as Martha was asleep and a little further from the couch. Instead, Kurt was in a small chair, which was against the wall opposite her, he also looked asleep. She truly smiled when she saw the two men there, she didn't know how they had made the doctor let them both stay inside because Martha was there too, probably Will used his lawyer's tricks to deter Dr. Méndez.  
  
She stared at Kurt for a long time. It was amazing how much she loved watching him sleep, the calm he transmitted, his slow breathing, he was the most beautiful man in the world. When they were young, she always slept later than he did, she stayed several minutes, even hours, watching him sleep, it was her favorite place in the world, what she loved to see the most. That thing never happened to her again with any of her partners after Kurt, it’s not that she had slept too much with them, she used to have casual encounters that ended before dawn with her leaving without heels, walking out silently from hotel rooms. No one was like Kurt, that man was much more than anyone she could meet, he was irreplaceable.  
  
She was so focused looking at Kurt that she did not realize that the hands that were holding hers between them were moving slowly. Martha had woken up several minutes ago, but she didn't want to interrupt her mother's concentration towards Kurt. She looked at him with so much love and with so much fear at the same time, Martha thought that her mother must be terrified of what might happen when Kurt knew the truth, it showed that she loved that man very much and that, probably when she lost him, It would be an irremediable loss for her. Diane had already lost him once, could she bear it again?  
  
"Mom…"  
  
Diane turned her head towards her daughter too quickly given her condition, as she frowned at the feeling of a sharp pulse in her head wound. She closed her eyes until the pain passed and opened them again to meet her daughter's worried look. Martha had already leaned forward and was attentive to what her mother needed. "I'm fine, Martha," Diane's voice was a whisper, partly because she didn't want to wake up the two men who were also in the room and also because her voice didn't go much further. "I moved too fast..."  
  
Martha nodded, she got up from her chair to help her mother to lie a little straighter on her stretcher, in an attempt to make her more comfortable. When she sat back in her place, she looked at her worried mother. "Are you okay?"  
  
Diane had her eyes closed and her breathing was heavy. After every hour she spent there, her muscles relaxed and her body ached more and more, not counting the deep pain she had in her ribs and her entire abdomen. She took a moment before opening her eyes and looking at her daughter, Diane nodded slowly in response to her daughter. "I guess it will be like this every time I try to move..."  
  
Martha nodded very slowly. They both knew that it would be like this for a while, but after the accident she had had it was not that bad. Then, Martha moved her gaze to Will and Kurt, in an attempt to cheer her mother up a bit, smiling at seeing them both totally asleep. "They made a fuss to stay here."  
  
Diane widened her eyes and showed the first true smile after the accident. "It was Will, right?" She asked, even though she already knew the answer, she knew her partner perfectly well. "When did he arrived?"  
  
"Of course it was Will!" Martha laughed slowly, trying not to speak too loudly because of her mother's head injury and not to wake the two men. "He took out all his legal skills and threatened to sue any doctor who told him he couldn't stay..." Martha explained, making her mother smile even more. "He arrived shortly after you fell asleep, he preferred not to wake you up and see you in the morning... You're lucky to have both of them with you..."   
  
The older woman shrugged and looked away from her daughter to look back at Kurt. She knew she could always count on Will, she was his best friend and he would never leave her alone, he had let her know that countless times. But Diane was terrified of what would happen when Kurt knew the truth, and for that there was only one solution...  
  
"Could you tell me what time it is?" Diane asked a little annoyed. After several minutes of watching Kurt silently, she looked back at her daughter, frowning. It bothered her to be disoriented, she wanted to return home, with her things, her routine and her normal life. Well, if it was for her, she would have done that several hours ago...  
  
"Sure..." Martha murmured a little astonished at her mother's mood change, took her bag and pulled her phone inside to check the time. “It's early… It's past 6 a.m. Do you want to eat something?"  
  
"No, I just want some water," Diane said in a weak whisper. She had tried to shake her head, but a small feeling of pain woke up as soon as she made a small movement, then she decided to remain still.  
  
Martha grabbed the jug with water and one of the glasses on the table beside her and poured water for her mother. When she handed it to her, she helped her straighten up enough not to get completely wet while drinking water. "You know... I think you should eat something... You don't eat since..." Martha frowned thinking that since she had arrived home from New York she had not seen her mother eat anything.  
  
"I'm not hungry... Don't worry," she replied dryly as she finished her glass of water. "Could you call the doctor?"  
  
Martha looked at her with her huge, wide blue eyes wide open. "Do you feel bad? You must tell me if you feel bad because if I can do anything to help you!” she was already raising her voice, although there was no anger in her, but it sounded like she was terrified.  
  
Diane took one of Martha's hands and stroked it slowly. "I'm fine... Please, calm down... And please don't shout that my head hurts" she tried to speak as low as she could because of the two men who were sleeping, although she hadn't noticed that the two had woken up by the reproach from Martha. "I just want to know if I will have to endure all these pains any longer or I can already receive a sedative..." her daughter nodded several times, trying to keep the tears that had formed in her eyes from falling, although Diane already knew they were there. "Do not be afraid, I will not go anywhere, my love..."  
  
Martha only needed that for the tears began to fall in great quantity but she did not try to run them, she got up from her chair on the edge of her mother's stretcher and lay beside her, gently supporting her head on her mother's shoulder, she ran one of her hands around her waist and pulled her closer as much as she could, trying not to hurt her. "I love you, mom…"  
  
Diane just moved a little to give her daughter more room and, despite the pain in her body, she didn't ask Martha to get away, on the contrary, she brought her closer to her. She needed to feel her close, she needed to know that she would never get away from her despite all the mistakes Diane could make. "I love you too, my little girl..." Her voice was a small whisper that only Martha could hear. After saying this, Diane placed a sweet kiss on the crown of her daughter’s head and raised her look, she did not expect to meet four familiar eyes watching her tenderly. She just gave them a small smile and looked back at Martha. _She really wished she could stop the time just at that moment!_ When she thought her life could still be saved...


	26. "The wrong words"

They were both alone in the room. Martha and Will had gone to the hospital cafeteria in search of a good breakfast for the four of them, although Diane refused to try a crumb of food. She felt her stomach upset, she couldn't even think about eating without thinking about how she would end up vomiting. Although she knew that they were right, and that all she had eaten in the last 24 hours was a tea with a couple of cookies, she was not going to eat, she felt too bad.  
  
Kurt was sitting in the chair that had previously been Martha's. He had his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands. He looked tired, but Diane could sense that it wasn't just that. Kurt was trying to find the exact words to say something to her and Diane could tell, he always got nervous when he had to talk or wanted to say something important to him. She watched him fight with himself and smiled remembering the times when he had to prepare oral final exams or had to give an oral presentation in front of too many people when they were in college, he had not changed anything, words had never been his strong point.  
  
After watching him for several minutes, Diane broke the silence. "What do you want to tell me, Kurt?" she asked slowly.  
  
The question made Kurt lift his head from his hands and look at her frowning. "How do you know I want to tell you something?" he spoke in the same tone of voice Diane had used.  
  
"Because you're one of the people I know most in the world, Kurt... You can't hide anything from me…" Diane muttered slowly, raising her hand where she had the IV, to slowly stroke his cheek. "What's happening to you?"  
  
"I'm worried about you..." Kurt said those few words very slowly, as if he was afraid of Diane's reaction to them. "The doctor has told me that you..." he did not know how to continue, clearly he was not good at talking. "He told me that you couldn't have any more children... And that there was a good chance that this would end as it ended..." he hated himself at that moment, it was not what he wanted to say and Diane's change of look could tell it "Sorry, sorry, sorry, that was not what I meant... Of course nobody could have imagined what happened in general, I think the doctor was referring to miscarriage..."  
  
Diane affirmed what Kurt said by nodding, but it took her a moment to answer. "I had a complicated pregnancy with Martha..." Diane murmured, looking down at her hands, which were perfectly placed in her lap.  
  
Kurt frowned at this, he didn't know anything about her previous pregnancy. "You've never told me anything about your daughter... I mean, I didn't know you had a complicated pregnancy."  
  
Diane's eyes widened, that man was asking for an explanation that clearly deserved more than what he could know, but this implied many things which Diane knew she was not prepared to tell him. It would not be very difficult for Kurt to deduce everything when she finished speaking, just knowing Martha's birthday and it could reveal 25 years of lies. "It's a long story..." she murmured.  
  
  
 _She had been told that having some dizziness and nausea was common in the first few months, but she no longer thought they were so common. She spent the whole morning vomiting in her bathroom and then, the rest of the day, totally dizzy, this could no longer be so normal. She decided to call the obstetrician who had been recommended by one of her classmates when one morning she got up and discovered that she was having small losses, they were almost non-existent, but this scared her so much that she practically ran to the phone to ask for an appointment.  
  
When the date of the appointment with the obstetrician arrived she felt terrible. Nothing she ingested could be retained in her body, sooner or later she ended up hugging her toilet vomiting absolutely everything. Dizziness was increasing as the days went by, so much that she hardly got out of bed. She already felt terrible about having to go through all this alone to add that this baby was making her feel worse.  
  
Diane was in the waiting room of the small office where the obstetrician worked. His last name was Hernandez and everyone said he was a professional in his trade, Diane had consulted several people of the university before getting involved with him. She was only three months pregnant and she only had a simple ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy in a hospital. The pregnancy was practically in second place in her head, she could only think of Kurt and how stupid she had been to trust him all those years. She, when she had imagined this moment, she had imagined it with him supporting her at all times, but now she was totally alone and she could never forgive him for his betrayal, not even with a child involved.  
  
_  
"But why didn't you go to your mother?" That was Kurt's first question before Diane's whole monologue, of course she suppressed Martha's father's details, she had only told him that the father was absent and that was enough for now.  
  
Diane let out a wry laugh before answering Kurt's question. "My mother..." she shook her head slowly several times before continuing. "That's another story... But we could say that my pregnancy did not fall in grace..."  
  
Kurt frowned and Diane could see how his expression was filled with anger. “Did she leave you alone and pregnant? That is despicable, Diane! How could she do something like that to her own daughter!?” he sounded really angry, but the soft caress Diane gave him on his cheek reassured him a little.  
  
"Never mind..." she murmured slowly, trying to calm him down. "I guess I was never what she expected me to be..." she continued with a shrug.  
  
  
 _"Miss... Lockhart?" the doctor asked, standing in the small waiting room, with a folder in his hands.  
  
Diane stood up from the chair, where she had been sitting, too fast. Her entire world began to turn violently and, when she felt she was about to fall, Dr. Hernandez was holding her from behind so she wouldn't fall._  
  
 _"Come, let's go to the office so I can check you properly..." the doctor said while helping Diane walk into the office._  
  
 _Her eyes were closed until the doctor laid her on a stretcher, not until then she could feel a little less dizzy and managed to open her eyes without collapsing right there. "I'm sorry," she said in a whisper, she felt extremely ashamed of her immediate decompensation. She was usually a strong woman, but at that time she had never felt so useless in her entire life.  
  
  
_ "The doctor checked me and checked what I might already know, Martha was a risky pregnancy..." Diane explained, looking away from Kurt's eyes, who stared at her without missing any of her words. “He explained that I had always had little chance of getting pregnant and that, now that it had happened, that was considered a high-risk pregnancy, just like…” Diane closed her eyes and took a deep breath, it would be difficult for her to overcome the pregnancy lost. She took a few seconds, took several deep breaths and continued explaining. "Anyway... He asked me to rest for at least the first four months and he would go to check me and the baby out once a week during all that time..."  
  
"But you were alone... How did you do it?" Kurt was really amazed at her, how she had managed to get ahead and raise a daughter totally alone. "You told me that Martha's father was not present..."  
  
Diane turned her head to look at Kurt again, every time he named Martha's father her heart squeezed. “I do not know, I was terrified, I felt that everything would go wrong just because I did not feel prepared to be in charge of such a big responsibility as a small baby… But I did it, some friends from the university helped me but I was practically alone in everything…” her tears had begun to fall when she felt Kurt take her hand in his and slowly stroked her. Diane took a deep breath again and continued talking. "And her father... He just wasn't there, not because he didn't want to... But because he never knew..."  
  
Kurt's caresses stopped immediately and his eyes widened, clearly he couldn't see this coming from Diane. “How did he not know? Diane, have you never told her?” by his tone of voice, he sounded incredulous, he would never have imagined this about her.  
  
"No... He never knew..." now she looked at him too, but his gaze had changed. She wasn't just crying, her eyes revealed guilt and sadness, and Kurt could tell, he knew her better than anyone. "He disappeared from my life before I could tell him..."  
  
He was really surprised at everything Diane was telling him, he would never have imagined that she had been through so much in all the years they were separated, he would have done everything possible to be there with her, supporting her and loving her. “There was no way you could contact him to give him the news? I mean... I think he would have wanted to know..."  
  
"He had moved on with his life," Diane said with a shrug of shoulders without tears falling from her eyes. "I didn't want to ruin any of that with a son, so I preferred to do the same as him and move on alone with my daughter, without disturbing anyone..." she was trying to convince Kurt that her choices about Martha's father had not been in vain, that she had done it for a fair reason. Anyway, she really thought, at that moment, that this was the best.  
  
Kurt nodded slowly, although he did not completely agree with what Diane had done in the past, but it was true that she must have had valid reasons for acting like this. "And how did it all go?"  
  
Diane cleared her eyes of her own tears and looked at him again, trying to focus on the story again. “The pregnancy was practically unsustainable, after the four months of pregnancy passed and I was finally able to get out of bed, studies revealed that Martha was not forming properly... I was devastated, I had no one to support me and nobody could guarantee me that Martha would be born alive…” she paused, drank some water from the glass that Kurt had served her a few seconds ago and continued. "Martha was born at seven and a half months of gestation, almost eight months, because pregnancy could no longer go on... It was not healthy for her and it wasn’t healthy for me..." she smiled as she remembered, nobody bet anything for her daughter, but she was a miracle. "Well... Martha wouldn't be here if the doctors hadn't been wrong, she was a miracle... A beautiful little miracle..."  
  
Kurt smiled at his wife's happiness at remembering those beautiful moments, although something inside him was not right. He remembered then the night he couldn't ask Diane if he was Martha's father. "Diane... Sorry I asked you this, but in what year was Martha born?"  
  
Diane's face became paler than she normally could be and her jaw dropped for a second, it was clear that her mind was not in a position to invent a date, although it was no longer necessary, _she was no longer going to lie._ If she didn't tell Kurt the whole truth at that moment, she wouldn't do it again in her entire life. She had to talk now, that was the right time. "Martha was born in 1994" although she tried to speak loudly, her voice was barely a small whisper, and Kurt had to make an effort to listen to her even though he failed.  
  
She began to cry even more, so much that she could barely breathe through her sobs. Diane could not repeat the phrase she had said before and, by the two huge arms hugging her and pushing her toward her, she understood that he had not heard what she had said. Kurt had taken Diane's head and placed it on her chest in a desperate attempt to calm her down. They both forgot about the physical wounds on Diane's body, she hadn't complained about any pain either, or at least it was impossible to identify them with the screams and sobs coming out of her.  
  
She felt horrible, the worst person in the world. She had hidden from the man she loved most in the world that he was a father for 25 years, that they both had created the beautiful person that Martha was. She didn't deserve Kurt's hugs, she didn't deserve his compassion, much less his love. That man still loved her, he would do his best to heal her pain and she had only treated him like crap, he didn't deserve all this.  
  
Diane cried harder and pushed Kurt's chest so he broke the hug. She looked into his eyes for a moment, he needed to see them for as long as she could because she knew that she would never see them again, those beautiful green eyes would never look at her again with all that love. Kurt looked at her stunned, he didn't understand what was happening but he didn't talk either, he just looked at Diane in amazement, trying to figure out what his wife was trying to do.  
  
"Diane..." Kurt muttered softly. "What's wrong with you, honey?"  
  
She laughed between her tears. “Have you not noticed, Kurt? Stop calling me honey, I don't deserve that you love me so much!” she shouted as loudly as she could, surprising Kurt even more, who had tried to approach again but her screams moved him away again. _Was it so difficult for that man to hate her as she deserved to be?_  
  
"Diane, I don't understand what happens to you..." Kurt whispered, not knowing what to do to calm his wife.  
  
She took a deep breath for the last time, although she felt that the air wasn’t reaching her lungs, and stared at him, not keeping the tears from falling down her eyes, she was sitting on the stretcher, her hands clinging to the sheets that covered her. "Forgive me, Kurt... I've tried to tell you all my life, but I couldn't... I know I don't deserve to be forgiven."  
  
Kurt looked at her with a frown, he didn't have a single idea of what she was talking about. “Diane, what are you saying? I don't understand anything…” he murmured trying to approach her again.  
  
"Martha is your daughter, Kurt!" Diane shouted as loudly as she could, forcing him to stop. "I tried to tell you before, I tried to talk a million times but I couldn't... You are a father and I hid it from you for a lifetime!"   
  
She screamed and cried, put her two hands in her eyes and cried even more. But he didn't care, he didn't feel the need to run to hug her as he always did every time he saw her like that, not anymore. He only heard the sound of his heart breaking into a thousand pieces, that woman had finished him for the second time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are ... The moment they had been waiting for so much came, I promise to upload the next chapter in the next few days, it won't be too long since I have it ready!
> 
> Thank you very much for reading and I will be waiting for your comments!


	27. "It was not out of hate"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Here is the chapter that I promised you, I hope I have not let too many days go by!
> 
> I want to thank everyone who commented on the previous chapter, and obvious to those who always do. It makes me so happy that they are liking where this story is going.
> 
> Regarding the characters I want to clarify that, although I took our beloved McHart and other people from TGW-TGF, some of the characteristics of them are a product of my imagination. I certainly do not know how the true character of Diane Lockhart or Kurt McVeigh would react to all this situation, I try to keep what we know about them but also play with my own ideas.
> 
> Anyway, I won't keep bothering with my clarifications! I hope you enjoy the chapter, the next one will be a little longer and I hope to upload it soon!

Neither of them moved, they just stared into each other's eyes. Kurt was looking for an explanation in her eyes, something that would give him a valid and coherent reason that would help him understand how she could hide something like that for so many years, but he couldn't find anything. He only saw in Diane’s eyes sadness, guilt and fear, she kept crying and this made a part of him want to hug her, promising that he would never leave her, that he would try to forgive her and that everything would be fine between them again, but the other part of him wanted to leave her and never see her again, but he decided not to obey either. He just stood there seeing those beautiful blue eyes he loved so much, trying to find the words and actions to continue. Kurt wanted to be able to hate her although he perfectly knew that he could never get to do it, he had been in love with her for 25 years without even being able to see her. As much as he wanted to hate her, they had a daughter together, a daughter that was a product of the gigantic love they felt for each other many years ago, that love that would be intact forever no matter how much they now wanted to deny it.  
  
Diane could see how Kurt's heart broke into a thousand pieces, and there she knew that nothing would ever be the same from that moment. Diane looked at him trying to hold him back, she wanted to stop him from stopping loving her, she wanted him to forgive her one day, although she knew she didn't deserve any of it. _She had betrayed him_ , she had ruined the second chance they both had to be happy together again from the moment she decided not to open her mouth that night at Kurt's house. She wanted to explain her reasons, she felt that she should do it, but she knew that they were not fair reasons, that nothing she could say was going to repair all the damage that was causing him, she should never have hidden his fatherhood to Kurt for so many years.  
  
The eye contact between them only broke when Diane dropped her head back, leaning on the pillows behind her and closing her eyes for only a moment. She felt too dizzy to keep holding her head, she needed to rest for a moment or her head would explode. The nausea had returned and, although she had not vomited yet, the doctor had explained that it was completely normal due to the blow to her head. Unlike other times, Kurt did not move a single inch from his position, he was standing on the side of Diane's stretcher, but a little away from the end of her.  
  
"Aren't you going to ask me anything?" Diane asked slowly, her eyes still closed, trying to contain her nausea.  
  
Kurt shrugged. "I don't think it's the right time," he replied sharply. He certainly didn't want to cause her more discomfort than she already had. "You don't feel well," he added in the same tone of voice.  
  
Diane opened her eyes so she could look at him, shaking her head slowly. "That doesn't matter, I need you to know everything, the whole story..."   
  
Kurt firmly denied. "No, not now," he reached into his jacket pockets. "We'll talk when you get better," he said, moving, for the first time in who knows how many minutes, to the room’s door.   
  
She watched him leaving and felt panic, she did not want to see him go like this. "Kurt!" She said as loud as she could, given her breakdown. He turned to look at her, waiting impatiently for her to continue talking. "All this, all these lies, were not out of hate... I could never hate you, Kurt, even though I wanted to do it..."   
  
He nodded several times. "I know, I know you love me, Diane" as always, in his voice nothing could be read at all. "That’s what makes me understand much less what you did... I don't understand how you could hide something like that for so many years from someone you love..." he said and opened the door to leave the room, leaving Diane completely alone.  
  
She wanted to yell at him not to leave her, she wanted to beg him to forgive her, to yell at him that she loved him more than anything in the world, but she didn't. Diane forced herself to remain silent, while salty tears fell down her face more frequently. The moment he had most feared all her life had just happened, and she didn't know how it had turned out. Kurt didn't yell at her, he didn't insult her, he didn't even look angry, just his deep sadness was seen in his green eyes. She had expected something else, she was prepared to give him an explanation about everything but he didn't ask her, he respected how bad Diane was feeling and, simply, he decided to leave without saying anything. She cried even more when she thought about how kind he was with her to put the issue aside so she could get better. He loved her, she was completely sure that he had done it because of the love he had for her, she loved him too, that's why she felt so bad that she had shouted the whole truth in his face, without at least preparing him for such news. Diane would have preferred to tell him all this in another moment, but she could no longer resist him being sweet and kind to her, while she was hiding something so important from him for so many years.   
  
The attempt to retain her nausea was in vain, she felt that she could no longer hold it. Diane quickly got up from her stretcher, tearing the serum hose from her hand, not paying attention to the enormous dizziness and the impossible pain that woke up all over her body, and she ran as fast as she could, given her ankle injury, to the small bathroom in the room to empty the nonexistent contents of her stomach.  
  
  
\---------------------------  
  
  
"You know she won't eat all that, right?" Will asked, as they slowly walked back to Diane's room.   
  
Martha shrugged. "I know, but at least I have to try to make her do it... She hasn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon, that can't do her any good... Besides I doubt too much that she wants to eat some food they make here..."   
  
They both carried a tray in their arms that contained various food for breakfast for the four of them, although Martha had bought several things that she knew her mother liked hoping that she would be tempted and finally would eat. Apart from that they had three coffees for them and for Diane they had obtained a tea, since the doctor had recommended her not to drink coffee at the moment since they preferred not to alter her system to see how she reacted in the next hours.  
  
"So..." Will began, breaking the silence that had formed between them. "Has your mother told you everything?"   
  
Martha stopped in the hall, looked at Will with a frown. "Did you know?" asked the young woman with some anger in her voice.  
  
Will also stopped, opened his eyes enormously and denied several times, trying to calm Martha's anger towards him. "Your mother told me about it when I hired Kurt for a case at the firm... She practically collapsed when she saw that man entering her office," Will explained sincerely, as they both walked down the hall again.   
  
Martha nodded. "It's hard... She always tried to do everything for me, but now with this... I don't know, I don't understand what she wanted to save me from by hiding who my father was..."  
  
Will looked at Martha and shrugged, he knew the answer, but he perfectly knew that it shouldn't be him who told her. "You must talk to your mother..."   
  
"Yes, I know... And with Kurt... Especially with Kurt..." she said almost in a whisper, more to herself than to Will. "I promised my mother I wouldn't talk to Kurt until she did," Martha continued, in a louder tone, addressing Will.  
  
"Did she tell you when she will talk to him?"   
  
Martha shook her head. "No, and I don't think she will for now... She is not in a position to give such news..."  
  
Will only nodded, dropping the subject, as they had reached Diane's room and could not continue talking about the subject because of the man who was to be found there.   
  
But when they opened the door they were both surprised. There were no signs of Diane and Kurt anywhere, other than that the stretcher where Diane was was empty, with the sheets pulled to the side. Martha's eyes wandered around the room before focusing on Diane's serum tube that was lying on the floor spilling its contents. It was then that they both heard a noise coming from the small bathroom, Martha left the tray on a small table that was against one of the walls of the room and ran to the bathroom. When she opened the door she saw her mother on the floor, emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet, she held her with one hand and with the other one she tried to remove the hair from her face.  
  
Martha sat behind her, leaving the bathroom door fully opened, she took her mother's hair herself in an attempt that she could hold herself better. The doctor said this could happen, nausea is one of the main consequences of a concussion, but Martha hoped she wasn't alone when this happened.   
  
Diane continued several more minutes, until finally she was sure that the nausea had finally ended and she dropped back, knowing that her daughter was holding her. She felt so bad, her body ached so badly that she didn't even care about her daughter seeing her like this, which made Martha worry even more about her. Diane would never allow anyone to see her in that state.  
  
"Mom..." Martha murmured in a low tone, removing some strands of her mother's forehead, uselessly trying not to show how worried she was in her voice. “Can you explain why you are in the bathroom alone? Shouldn't Kurt be with you?”   
  
Diane shook her head but she didn't answer, her head hurt too much for her to make a coherent sentence. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was heavy, her chest injury was there with every breath of air she was trying to take. She was barely aware that Will had entered the bathroom with a glass of water in his hands, which he immediately handed to Diane. He murmured something to Martha that Diane was unable to understand, either because of his low voice or how stunned she was.  
  
After finishing the glass of water, Diane tried to clear her throat, although she immediately regretted it as this woke up a strong pain in her chest. She held a hand to the place where the pain woke up and tried to speak. "He's gone…"   
  
Martha frowned and turned to look at Will, who was looking at her, standing, with the same face of confusion. "He’s gone? Where did he go?"  
  
And that was when Martha understood what had happened, Kurt would only leave Diane totally alone in her situation if he were really very angry with her. _Diane had told him the truth_ , and Kurt had not been able to bear it. Martha felt the need to hug her mother harder, and she did so, with the utmost care not to hurt her more than she already was.  
  
  
\------------------------  
  
  
“Mrs. Lockhart, you cannot get up from this stretcher except to go to the bathroom, do you understand? And only with the help of an adult or a nurse. You must rest completely, less than 24 hours ago you suffered a serious accident. If you feel nauseous, in the drawer of your bedside table there are bags for that, or you have the trash under the table. But you must understand that you can't let go of the serum and run to the bathroom.”   
  
Dr. Méndez had been scolding her for a long time, and Diane was making enormous efforts not to roll her eyes or release a sarcastic comment. She was again on her stretcher, with the serum tube placed back on her arm and with her right ankle raised, as it had begun to swell slightly.  
  
Martha could tell that her mother was about to kill her doctor and decided to interrupt. "Doctor Méndez, I guarantee that, from this moment, my mother will do everything she should do... I will stay here myself to check that she does not move from that stretcher."  
  
Dr. Méndez looked at her and rolled his eyes. "Good. But I don't want any other urgent call, please understand that this is an extremely delicate situation” he checked Diane's serum for the last time, he had applied a soothing and something so she could sleep, and left the room.  
  
"I hope you understood that you shouldn't do that kind of thing..." Will said from the other side of the room. "You could have hurt yourself even more..." he continued in a lower and more protective tone. Although Diane shrugged and rolled her eyes, without saying a word.  
  
Martha sat next to her mother, took her hand in hers and forced her to look at her. "What happened?"  
  
Diane looked at her daughter, then looked at her best friend and pressed her lips tightly trying not to break into tears. "I told Kurt the truth..." her voice was low and scared, as if she were a little girl who was afraid of being scolded. "I wanted to tell him everything... But he didn't let me, he told me we would talk later, when I recovered..."  
  
"Wasn't he angry?" Will asked softly.  
  
"No... I don't know, he just looked disappointed..." the tears Diane had tried not to shed were falling down her cheeks. "I don't deserve to be forgiven, he must be hating me right now..."  
  
Martha shook her head firmly. "I don't think that man can hate you."  
  
Diane nodded and turned to look at her daughter. The drug that the doctor had applied a few minutes ago was beginning to make effect, since her eyes were practically closed and her voice was getting lower. "Wanting to hate a person because you loved her too much and betrayed you, it's worse than hating her... And you can be sure that I know how that feels..."  
  



	28. "Father and daughter"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my beauties! I'm here again!
> 
> I am very sorry to have taken so long to upload this chapter. My university life is at its worst and I am full of jobs and exams!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, I will try not to take so many days to update again! I will be reading all your comments!

The silence was going to end him. He had been sitting on the sofa in his house for hours, staring at the floral arrangement Diane had left the last time she had been there. She had told him that she couldn't have that beautiful varnished wooden table without a centerpiece and, the next day, she appeared with a mediumsized vase with beautiful flowers on it. Kurt didn't care whether he had a centerpiece or not, but he saw her so happy to be able to contribute to his decoration, that he couldn't refuse to have her place it. It had been almost a week of it, and the flowers were just starting to spoil, but Kurt was unable to throw them away. He looked at them as if they were all he had left of her, although he knew perfectly well that it was not so. They had a daughter in common, Martha was who would unite them all their lives no matter if they saw each other again or not.   
  
When he thought of Martha, he couldn't help smiling. He had a daughter, a beautiful, intelligent and kind young woman. He thought about graduation day, and how "gentle" Diane had been in allowing him to accompany her, _although she must have done it because of the guilt she felt at that moment_ , he thought angrily. Kurt could not help feeling proud of Martha on that day, she was everything he had always dreamed of in a daughter and he had come to think that he could be a good stepfather to her. _What an idiot you have been, McVeigh!_ a voice said in his head, which he tried to eliminate right away.  
  
When he met Martha in court, several months ago, he felt a weird connection with her. Of course he knew right away that she was Diane's daughter, the similarities between those two were incredible, but, on the other hand, he saw in her something he had never seen in another person. He kinda loved her from the second he saw her, he had felt the need to hug her tight, although he clearly didn't do it because he didn’t want to look like a lunatic.  
  
_It was there when he understood everything._ Diane almost passed out when she saw him talking to Martha. She excused herself saying that she hadn't had a good breakfast, but he now understood that it was because she had never imagined that one day she would see them together. Kurt clenched his fists in anger as he remembered that. He had cared for her, he had feared for her health, he had always loved her with all his heart. For what? For her to betray him like this? He knew that, at some point, he deserved this. He had betrayed her with her best friend and she had seen him with her own eyes. He deserved anything else but not hiding such a secret from him for 25 years. He had no forgiveness for what Diane had done, and he was sure he could never forgive her, not even all the love he had for her could fix this situation, she had finished with all the trust he could have.  
  
Suddenly, he stood up from his place on the couch. He already knew what to do, he took his cell phone from his jacket pocket, searched his contacts for the number he needed and pressed the button that said "call." _How didn’t it happen before?_  
  
  
\---------------------  
  
  


Escaping from the hospital, without her mother finding out, was simple. The drugs the doctor had given Diane to rest had left her out of combat several hours ago. Martha just had to ask Will to stay with her for a couple more hours, which he accepted without any problem, he knew how important it was for Martha to get out of there.  
  
She had never gone to Kurt's house. She knew it was on the outskirts of Chicago because her mother had told her a couple of times, but she had never driven there. Will had been very kind in lending him her car so that she could go and return faster, since, when Martha was in Chicago, she had driven Diane's car which was now in the mechanic shop.  
  
The car's GPS was leading her the right way, although she didn't pay much attention to the road. Kurt had offered to go to the city, so she didn't have to drive so much, but Martha flatly refused. On the one hand because of intrigue, since she had never gone to Kurt's house, and on the other, because of shame, that man had already gone through too many things to get him out of the comfort of his house just to have s simple talk. Although that talk was not too simple, since she would "know" her father for the first time in her life.  
  
Her hands clung more to the wheel when the GPS marked that this was the last bend before arriving at Kurt's house. She slowed down and could see on the asphalt the marks that her mother had left while braking in an attempt not to hit the car that was coming from the front. Her eyes filled with tears of just thinking that she could have lost her mother there and, worst of all, that the last conversation between them had been an argument. She couldn't let that happen again...  
  
After passing that curve, Kurt's house was less than a kilometer away, she could identify it without any effort. Two huge barns were on the sides of a large country house, there were many trees and she was even able to identify the forest behind the house. She parked the car a few meters from the short path that led to the entrance, took her bag and got out of the car. The first thing she noticed was the purifying country air, that place had to be the closest thing to paradise she would know in life. The renewing breeze, the peaceful silence, nature in its greatest splendor. She was not used to places like that, she had been a city girl all her life and had never bothered to change it, but now Martha was beginning to see that she also had in her blood some kind of love for places like that.  
  
When Martha started walking towards the entrance she saw that the house’ door opened and Kurt was waiting for her arrival. She smiled and accelerated her walk, but when she saw him standing there, her body began to show the nerves she felt, her hands began to tremble and sweat, her mind couldn't stop screaming at her. _It's him! That is your father, Martha! The one you looked for so many years without realizing he was standing in front of you..._  
  
When she reached the entrance , it was a matter of seconds before he wrapped her in his arms. She hugged him back immediately, feeling like her tears were starting to fall down her cheeks.  
  
Kurt broke the hug after several minutes, but he kept taking Martha's shoulders in his hands. He was crying, and he no longer cared that someone saw him that way. He couldn't believe that the young woman he had in front of him was his daughter. "I'm sorry..." he murmured softly, after a few seconds, which made Martha frown in her tears. "I haven't invited you to come inside..." Kurt continued, stepping aside to allow Martha to go in. She nodded several times, still smiling, and accepted her father's invitation to enter.  
  
Everything inside the house was so country, the decoration was excellent, made for a man, but very beautiful. Anyone would say that a single man’s house should be a bit messy, but this one was the opposite. Orden and cleanliness could be seen everywhere, she knew that Kurt was an organized and correct man, she could tell from the moment she met him.  
  
"Do you want a drink?"  
  
Kurt's voice had startled her, she had already entered the main room of the house and was about to sit in the large leather armchair in front of a beautiful wood burning fireplace, although she kept seeing everything around her.  
  
Martha once shook her head and put one of her hands to her hair, in an attempt to accommodate what was already settled. She was very nervous.  
  
"Sit down... I'll bring you a glass of water just in case..." Kurt said disappearing into one of the hallways of the house.  
  
She sat at the end of the big armchair, still looking at every corner of that room. When her eyes made contact with the vase in the center of the table in front of her, she couldn't help but smiling. It was clear that this had been the work of her mother, since it did not combine with the rest of the place. Although, after looking at it for a few seconds, her gaze saddened, she had left it before all this happened and, perhaps, things would never be as they had been back then.  
  
Kurt returned with two glasses of water, placed them on the table and sat on the same chair that Martha was, but at the other end. He cleared his throat before speaking, he seemed really sure of what he was going to say, even though he was about to die because of the nerves he was feeling. "Well... This is a bit difficult..." he mentioned feeling relieved when he saw Martha nodding several times. "You know... I loved your mother very much, even though it was me who ruined our relationship... I want you to know that you were the product of the enormous love that two people had, despite not planning you..."  
  
"I know..." Martha said in a whisper, she took a moment to clear her throat before speaking again. “My mother told me about you, about your relationship when you were young and how happy you had been together…”  
  
Kurt nodded, smiling, remembering those moments. "Your mother is one of the people I love most in the world, I thought she was the one I loved the most, but now that I know about your existence..." Kurt took Martha's hands in his. "Listen... I don't know what will happen between your mother and me, but I want you to know that I will do my best so that doesn't hurt you... I mean... I want to meet you, Martha..." he paused to find the right words. “When I was young I dreamed of the day I became a father, but, over the years, those dreams were forgotten, since the only woman I wanted to have children with had disappeared from my life…” Kurt paused to remove a tear that was falling down his daughter's cheek with his thumb. "But now you’ve appeared in my life... And if you allow me, I want to recover some of the years I was not there for you..."  
  
Martha squeezed the grip of her hands and nodded. "Of course I want... Kurt, if you knew all the time I thought I would never know you... When I was younger and I went to school, my friends always talked about their parents and I always got sad... Of course I had accepted my mother's decision not to tell me anything about you, and I still accept her, but somewhere inside me I was always waiting for you… ”she just smiled, beneath her tears, seeing Kurt's eyes and her little smile. "I want to meet you, know everything about you, find out what we had in common, the things we disagree... Although I can start saying that you are a republican, that’s the first difference..." she said, laughing and laughing even more when she noticed that Kurt was laughing too.  
  
"This can’t be real! Another democrat, no, please! ”Kurt pleaded as he laughed. Although little by little in his face only remained just a shadow of that laugh, while he kept looking at Martha's face. "You look like your mother a lot..."  
  
"Maybe physically..." Martha said with a shrug. "But I'm sure inside of me I'm similar to you too."  
  
Kurt couldn't help his tears falling more frequently at his daughter's words. She was beautiful, just like her mother and, he was sure that as the days went by, he would love her a little more and more, from the moment he knew she was his father he had loved her more than anything in the world.  
  
They were looking at each other until Martha broke the silence. "Kurt..." her voice was low, almost a whisper. "Can I ask you a favor?"  
  
He nodded firmly several times. "Sure, honey... Whatever you want."  
  
"Can you even think of forgiving my mother?"  
  
Kurt opened his eyes in amazement at Martha's request, he didn't expect her to ask him that. "Have you done it?"  
  
Martha shook her head. "No, not yet... But I know I will... She didn't want to cause us any harm, she loves us too much to even think about hurting us intentionally..."  
  
Kurt shrugged and didn't speak until several seconds later. "Let's leave your mother's topic aside for now... I don't feel ready to talk about her yet..."  
  
  
\------------------------  
  
  
Martha knocked the bedroom’s door before entering. When she heard her mother's voice, coming from inside, indicating that it could happen, Martha entered. "Are you ready?" she asked when she saw her mother.  
  
It had been two long weeks since the accident and they would finally discharge Diane. She had evolved noticeably and was already ready to go to her apartment, Dr. Méndez had to indicate how she had to take care inside the house, but she felt much better than in the last days. The head injury was slowly improving, as were her injured ribs, but at least she could already stand and walk without feeling the world spinning around her. She was only irritated by the fact that she had to use two crutches to be able to walk, since on her right ankle there was now an uncomfortable orthopedic boot that kept the ankle safe from any blow. She still couldn't support her foot without crying in pain, but they had already explained that it would take a few months and some sessions with a specialist doctor.  
  
She nodded at her daughter's question, she was sitting on the edge of her stretcher, with the crutches aside. She had already taken off her pajamas and managed to put on one of her large yoga pants, a longsleeved shirt and a sweater on top. "Dr. Méndez asked me to wait for him before I left, he told me he wanted to talk to me and you about my cares..." that last word she pronounced her by rolling her eyes. She was so tired that people had to take care of her, she needed all that to end now. "Is Will here?"  
  
Martha shook her head slowly frowning. "No, mother... As I mentioned yesterday, Will will wait for us in your apartment" Martha replied a little irritated to have to repeat everything. The doctor had explained that the concussion, perhaps, could caused her mother to be a little dismembered, but it was nothing that was not going to improve over the days.  
  
Diane nodded doubtfully, she didn't remember Martha mentioning that, but when she was about to answer her daughter, Dr. Méndez entered the room.  
  
"Well, Mrs. Lockhart... The time to say goodbye has come..." the doctor said, his eyes were on the spreadsheets in his hand. "I have already signed your departure here, so I just have to explain a couple of things..." he left the papers on the table and continued, already looking at Diane. “I need you to come back to the hospital next week so that I can check you out again, it's just a routine check-up, maybe we will do it for two or three weeks… On the other hand, you shouldn't stay in bed all day. You can walk around the house, listening to the limits that your body puts, clearly... You may continue to suffer from nausea or dizziness, they are normal, right there I attached the recipe for some painkillers for that and for the pain in your chest and ankle... I think i don’t have to say that you cannot make any kind of force, you cannot bend down with a lot of speed, nor can you drive, at least until your ribs have healed... do you understand?”  
  
Diane nodded badly, although deep inside she was happy to finally be able to leave that place. She was already feeling sick of just breathing in there.  
  
The doctor nodded at Diane and then looked at Martha. "Will you take care of her?" Seeing Martha nodding, he continued. “The first two or three nights I need you to wake her up every three to four hours. You have to ask her some basic question... What's her name? Or, where is her? It's just to check that nothing strange has happened in her brain while she’s asleep… Any strange reaction, don't hesitate to call the hospital guard right away.”  
  
Martha nodded. "One more question, Dr. Méndez... No alcohol, right?" She finished the question and looked at her mother, who looked at her angrily. They both knew Diane would arrive at her apartment and the first thing she would want to do was have a drink.  
  
"Of course not! She will be medicated for several more weeks, apart from that she will not recover from the concussion.”  
  
Diane rolled her eyes. _Calvary seems to chase me to my own apartment,_ she thought.  
  
  
\----------------------  
  
  
Upon entering the apartment, Diane could finally breathe deeply. At last she was at home, in her place with her things, with her quietness. Martha helped her to walk to the main hall and, once she left her sitting on the couch, she left to finish getting things out of the car.  
  
"Welcome, mate!"  
  
Will's voice behind her made her turn a little to see him coming with a huge bouquet of flowers in his hands. He left the bouquet in one of the smaller armchairs and sat next to her friend wrapping her in his arms. Diane also hugged Will, he was always there for her. "You didn't need to buy such a bouquet, Will... I'm glad you're here..." she said humbly.  
  
Will broke the hug and looked at her. "You know you deserve that and much more... I'm glad to see you well and at home..." Will squeezed Diane's hands, trying to find the words to continue speaking. "Listen, there is someone here who wants to see you... But only if you want to, but he will return in another time."  
  
Diane frowned and, before she could ask who it was, she saw Kurt entering the main hall. She opened her eyes like two plates. He had gone to talk to her, he had been waiting all these days to talk to her. She couldn't help thinking about how gentle he had been to wait until she was at home.  
  
"Of course I want to see him..." Diane said, looking at Kurt's sad and tired eyes.


	29. "Take care, my love"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God, it's been a while since I managed to update... I'm so sorry! But now I can tell you that my exams have passed and I will be able to update this story more frequently.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, and again I apologize for not acting on time! I will read your comments and thank each one of the kudos they give me!

They had been sitting for several minutes, maybe half an hour or a little more, side by side, in silence. Diane was looking forward, where there was a beautiful fireplace with several frames with pictures above her, she had her injured ankle resting on a pillow that Will had left on the coffee table in front of the large sofa, her hands were on her lap. Kurt, on the other hand, had his elbows resting on his knees and was looking towards the floor. Neither of them spoke, the air around them was tense, anyone could have noticed, they seemed to be looking for the words to start the conversation, but it was not easy.  
  
"I..." Diane started, turning her head a little to look at him, her voice was a small whisper. She took a deep breath and continued in the same tone of voice. "I think maybe you should ask me-"  
  
“When did you know?” he interrupted her, and this made Diane startle a little, since he was using a tone much louder than hers. Seeing that she frowned, not understanding what he was talking about, he spoke again. "When did you know you were pregnant?"  
  
She raised her eyebrows and let her mouth drop a little, but then she nodded a couple of times and cleared her throat in a failed attempt to eliminate the knot inside her. "I knew a few hours before I went to your house that night."  
  
Kurt shook his head. "You mean you were in front of me and you didn't tell me..." his voice didn't sound angry or annoying, just a little disappointed.  
  
Diane clenched her lips tightly, trying to make the tears that had formed in her eyes stay there as much as possible. "I went for that... I went to your house because I was going to tell you everything... But I saw you with Sarah and I couldn't."  
  
Kurt laughed and shook his head again. He was already a little more erect and his gaze had turned towards her, along with his body. "You couldn't... You told me it wasn't because of hate."  
  
“It wasn't because of hate, it was because of sadness or maybe because of resentment, but never because of hate… You have to understand me, Kurt, although you don’t have to. I never wanted to hurt you, I just wanted to erase everything that had happened in your house, I wanted us to be happy together” her voice was already a little louder, the tears she had prevented from letting go were falling down her cheeks. "I thought you were happy... Why would I appear to ruin that happiness with a child?"  
  
"Where did you get that I was happy?" Kurt asked badly.  
  
Diane shrugged. “When several months passed... I think I was four or five months pregnant, I don't remember exactly. I went back to your house..."  
  
Kurt opened his eyes enormously, he hadn't expected that. "You... what?" he asked in a whisper, he sounded really surprised.  
  
“I had been resting for weeks because of the complications I had suffered with Martha's pregnancy. When the doctor let me get out of my bed, the first thing I did was take the car and drive to your house... ”she had never told anyone this, she felt so ashamed of it that she preferred forgetting about it, but now she had been totally honest with the man in front of her. "I was determined to tell you everything, although probably, if you had seen me, you could have checked it, I had already gained some weight and my stomach was quite swollen..."  
  
Kurt smiled under his mustache as he imagined the young Diane pregnant, although, after thinking for a few seconds, this made him even more angry. He would have given everything to be with her at that time, to accompany her in all her appointments with the doctor, take care of her when she could not get out of bed, fulfill each of her cravings... But now it was too late for that, everything had happened too many years ago... "What prevented you from entering?" he asked looking back at Diane.  
  
Diane sighed audibly. "I arrived and parked the car a few meters away from your entrance ... It took me only a few minutes to think clearly about what I was about to do, but I was already convinced that it was the right thing..." She paused to take a breath. "When I was about to get out of the car I saw you leaving your house... But you were not alone, behind you was Sarah..." she could see his astonished face at Diane's statement, but she could only nod one time and continued talking. “I felt that everything was falling apart again, you know? And there I knew that I had lost you, you were with her, you were no longer with me, or you would never be...”  
  
"Diane..." he began slowly, as he shook his head from side to side. "Did you really think that Sarah and I had something?" his voice sounded like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.  
  
“And what did you expect? I had seen you cheating on me with her, how would I know you weren't together?” she sounded a little more annoyed now.  
  
"Maybe you could have asked me," he said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. “Sarah was a one time thing. When you saw me with her at my house we were saying goodbye, she had insisted on having something more serious, since John had left her when she knew what happened between us, but I rejected her and she just left... I never saw her again after that day, Diane.”  
  
Diane's face froze for a few seconds, she had always been totally sure that Kurt had followed Sarah. After a moment trying to organize her thoughts, she nodded several times, indicating that she understood what he explained. "I didn't know that... I thought you two had something serious and, if you hadn't appeared in my office several months ago, I would still be thinking you were with her."  
  
“Are you telling me that you thought I was still with Sarah? Diane, when you left I looked for you everywhere!” Kurt sounded incredulous, he couldn't believe that Diane really believed that story.  
  
"I did not know, I did not know it! Is it okay?” the latter she uttered almost screaming. “I loved you, Kurt, much more than you thought. But I loved the creature that was growing inside me even more and I wasn't going to let her suffer for her father's mistakes.”  
  
"My mistakes? Oh Diane, please! Did you think she wasn't going to suffer the same without knowing who the fuck her father was?” he was screaming too.  
  
“I couldn't think about the future, Kurt! My present was falling apart, I was alone with a child, my boyfriend had cheated on me, and my parents had thrown me out. What did you want me to do? I could only think about Martha's wellbeing…”  
  
"I don't understand what harm I could have done to Martha" Kurt had lowered his voice a little, since he had seen Diane touching her head several times since they had started talking, and the least thing he wanted to do was hurting her even more.  
  
"I thought that... Maybe you would not want to have a daughter with me and you would reject her in your life, as you had done with me... Kurt, I could not bear telling my daughter that her father did not love her..." her voice had also lowered a few tones, although it was still strong.  
  
Kurt looked at her incredulously, he couldn't believe she thought he would do such a thing, she knew him better than anyone. “How did it occur to you that I would do something like that? The three years we were together had not shown you who I was?”  
  
Diane laughed ironically and shook her head. "Kurt, you had cheated on me with my best friend... I guess in that moment I thought I didn't know you."  
  
"Then it was easier to tell your daughter that her father did not exist directly, rather than taking the risk and telling her that I did not love her, something that is clear that it would not have happened... I still do not understand how you could think such a thing of me."  
  
“It was not easier, but at that time it seemed like an easy way out. And that was what I needed, easily, that things for once were not difficult.” she had a point, he could see it, but still he could not understand it.  
  
Kurt shook his head several times, although he preferred leaving the subject there for the moment. There was another question he had wanted to ask since she mentioned it. "What happened to your parents?"  
  
She looked a little surprised at the change of subject and shrugged again, looking forward again. “Well, they didn't care much about my situation… When I went back to my house, looking for some security and comfort, they first scolded me. They told me that I was throwing my future down the sewer, that I had been such an idiot not taking care of myself well enough…” Diane rolled her eyes as she remembered that moment. "But then they told me that if I wasn't going to marry you, I couldn’t go home again, they didn't want a granddaughter and they wouldn't have it if things didn't happen as they thought they should."  
  
Kurt was surprised to see how Diane was not collapsing before everything she was telling him, she had overcome the subject and had no grudge towards them. "But they knew me, although I always had the theory that they never liked me too much..."  
  
Diane laughed a little. “You are a Republican, Kurt. They were never going to want you to be in my life.”  
  
He denied with his head. "But they could have called me, they could have gone looking for me, and they didn't do any of that... They didn't even want to try me to fulfill my obligations..." he was surprised, he knew Diane's parents hadn't been good people, but he would never have imagined that they were so miserable. "I went to your parents' house..."  
  
Diane, who had averted her gaze to her hands, raised her head in amazement, and looked at Kurt with her eyes wide open. "Did you go to my parents' house?"  
  
Kurt nodded. “When you disappeared, the first few months I just called you on the phone and went continuously to the residence where you lived... But when I found out that I would never find you, I began to broaden my search a bit. I went to your friends' house, your college classmates, actually, to a lot of places...” Kurt paused, seeing Diane's astonished expression. "And finally I went to your parents' house... I explained how desperate I was, I knew I had made a mistake but I really loved you and I needed to find you to be able to apologize as many times as necessary, but it seemed that my story didn’t convince them... They told me that you had been there and that you no longer wanted to see me again. They told me that you had gone too far and you would never come back, that they had helped you to leave. It was there when I stopped looking for you, Diane...”  
  
Diane felt irritated, and could be seen by her well-marked frown. She had gone to her parents' house, crying because of how much she missed Kurt at that time in her life, told them she needed him like never before, they knew Diane just wanted to have Kurt back in her life and that If she had left him, it was so that he could be happy with whom he wanted to be. But they had ruined the last chance Diane and Kurt had to get back together. This drove Diane crazy, she would never have thought she could feel more contempt for her parents.  
  
Her tears fell more and more frequently. She closed her eyes for a moment, clenched her fists, took a deep breath and opened her eyes again, directing her gaze to him. "I'm sorry, Kurt... I didn't know that you had looked for me, everything would have been so different if you hadn't cheated on me... If I had talked to you before..."  
  
Kurt shrugged, trying to show himself strong in the situation, although it could clearly be seen that he was dying inside. "It's not that simple, Diane" clearly referring to forgiveness.  
  
"I know..." she said in a small whisper. "But now that you know why I did it maybe it helps you to understand-"  
  
Kurt looked into her eyes again and interrupted her voice. “Understand what? Your motives? There are no valid reasons why you have hidden something like that for 25 years, Diane” he said sharply.  
  
"It wasn't easy for me either..." Diane's voice was still a whisper, as if she was afraid of what she said.  
  
Kurt rose from his place in the chair angrily. "Oh my God! Stop victimizing yourself! ”He was already irritated. He had believed that, hearing what she had to say, would make easier for him to forgive her, or at least to understand her. But clearly he couldn't with any of the two ideas. "You're not the one who suffered here, Diane!"  
  
Diane couldn't believe what Kurt was telling her. Of course she had suffered, she had been suffering for the same subject for 25 years. “I did not suffer? You cheated on me, Kurt! I loved you more than anything in this world and you slept with my best friend in front of my own eyes! You didn't care what we had! ”she yelled looking into his eyes.  
  
“I was drunk, Diane! You know I hadn't wanted to do it,” he said, putting his hands on his hips and averting his gaze to the rest of the room.  
  
Diane closed her eyes and clenched her fists. “How are you able to make that a point? How can you excuse yourself with that?!” if she could, she would have risen from the sofa and faced him face to face, but it was obvious that she could not stand up.  
  
"How can you deny my daughter's paternity 25 years for a simple hoax?!" Kurt shouted, walking side by side through the room, but still looking at Diane. Deep inside he knew that everything had not been so simple, but at that moment he was blinded by anger.  
  
“It was not simple, Kurt! You broke my heart! ”Diane's voice was a mixture of anger and frustration, while she couldn't stop moving her hands.  
  
"You just broke mine but you don’t seem to care about that!"  
  
And it was the end. When Kurt doubted the love she felt for him, she knew that day they would not be able to reach anything. She could see that he had already taken his position on the matter and there was nothing left to do. She had explained everything, she had apologized to him a million times, but nothing seemed to matter. Things would no longer be what they had been, that was the end.  
  
After the long awkward silence that had been created between them, all they heard was their heavy breaths, Diane decided to speak again. "I think you should go, Kurt..." Diane murmured, trying to run some of her tears with the palm of her hand. "I can't stand this situation of yelling at each other, we won't get anywhere..."  
  
Kurt ran a hand through his gray hair and, after managing to control the heavy breathing he had, he nodded several times. She was right, there was no point in continuing the conversation, they would never reach an agreement, he was too angry to understand anything about everything Diane had said. He needed to get out of there.  
  
He lifted his leather jacket, which he had left in one of the smaller armchairs, and looked at Diane for the last time. "Take care of yourself," he said almost in a whisper that, at the moment he said it, maybe Diane couldn’thave heard. Kurt walked to the front door with great steps and came out closing the door behind him.  
  
"You too, my love..." she replied when she heard the door closed, bringing both hands to her face in an attempt to muffle the sound of the loud sob that came later.


	30. "I forgive you"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to apologize a million times for the delay. In truth this time did not depend on me, the person who corrects me the chapter was very busy and only today could he deliver this to me.
> 
> Beyond that, I want to tell you that I have already written the end of this story. It took me so long to finish it, the truth is that I've been trying to write the end for months, but I did it!
> 
> Enjoy this chapter, I hope I don't have to wait so long for the next one!

Will had left Martha at the entrance of Diane's apartment, apologizing for not being able to stay with her, but the truth was that he had to work. Someone had to take care of the firm before David Lee led the biggest protest in the country's history. Will had decided to leave Julius and David in charge, although he knew that duo would end in disaster, they weren't exactly best friends, but he needed people with experience in charge, and they were the oldest in the place. Besides, if Will knew something perfectly, it was that both lawyers loved their “duck mom” very much and would not let things go wrong in her absence.  
  
  
 _After Kurt arrived, Martha and Will decided to give them some privacy and they both left the apartment to go for some coffee a few blocks away. Martha made Kurt promise that he would call her if something happened, and also that, when he left, he should immediately notify Martha so that she would take care of her mother again. Kurt's message came almost two hours later, telling Martha that he had already left the apartment._  
  
 _"He hasn't told you anything else?" Asked Will, as he set his coffee cup on the table.  
  
Martha shook her head. "Kurt doesn’t like to talk that much..." she said with a shrug. "Although I can't imagine that this has ended well."_  
  
 _Will shook his head, while_ _calling the waiter to be able to_ _pay him. They both knew that_ _Diane couldn't stay alone for so_ _long. "I just hope your mother is_ _fine..."  
  
"Me too," Martha murmured, taking her cup to take the last sip of coffee.  
  
  
_Martha looked for the keys in her coat pocket while she climbed the stairs that separated the apartment door from the sidewalk. Her mind could only think about her mother and if she had done crazy things, something like drinking alcohol and disabling the effect of her pills. She shook her head, in an attempt to stop thinking, while opening the front door.  
  
"Mom?" Martha shouted, closed the door behind her. "Where are you?"  
  
Silence. Martha's voice echoed on the walls of the living room of the apartment and this made her worry even more. Martha checked the living room, then the kitchen and dining room of the apartment, there was no trace of Diane. _She could not have gone very far,_ she thought as she climbed the stairs, which led her to the second floor of the apartment, practically running.  
  
Opening Diane's bedroom door, Martha exhaled sharply. Diane was lying on her bed with her back to the bedroom door. She had her headphones on and connected to her phone, although she couldn't see if she was asleep from where she was standing. Martha did not have to approach her to know that Diane would be listening to some piece of classical music, like Vivaldi or maybe a Bach’s, she knew that music was relaxing for her mother.  
  
Martha slowly approached the bed, turning around her to see if her mother was asleep. But to her surprise, two blue eyes opened as soon as Martha stood in front of her. It was not necessary for Diane to say something, Martha could see in Diane's red and sad eyes that things with Kurt had not gone well at all. Diane raised her hand and felt the place beside her, instructing Martha to sit beside her. Martha nodded and sat next to her mother, placing her back on the back of the bed.  
  
Trying to sit in the same way as her daughter, Diane took off her headphones and took her phone to stop the music. Once she managed to sit comfortably, she took a deep breath trying to silence all the pain that woke up in her body because of the effort that her change of position required.  
  
"How bad was it?" Martha asked cautiously, turning her head to look at her mother.  
  
Diane shrugged without looking at Martha. "I guess it was how we all imagined it was going to be like..." she clasped her hands and began to play with her fingers nervously. "We talk... I think we told everything we didn't know about each other in this story."  
  
Martha nodded slowly, without taking her eyes away from her mother's eyes, although she still did not look at her. "Was he so angry?"  
  
She shook her head. “In a moment we both got angry. We shout at each other many things that we should never have said because, and I speak for myself, I don't think about them at all... And I want to believe that he doesn't think those horrible things about me either...”  
  
Martha turned her head forward and concentrated on the paint Diane had hung on the wall in front of her bed. "He loves you."  
  
Diane turned her head quickly, ignoring the little dizziness she had felt for the speed. "I don't think he can look at me the same way he looked at me before, Martha..."  
  
"I think you should give him time to assimilate," Martha replied with a shrug as she took a moment to find the right words to continue. "When you told me everything, I never wanted to see you again..." she said and she grabbed one of her mother's hands, now they were looking both in the eyes. “It took me a long time to understand what you had done, mom… But I managed to understand it.”  
  
Diane's eyes filled with tears and began to fall down her cheeks before she even thought about holding them back. "What do you mean by that, honey?" Her voice was a small whisper, she really was afraid of Martha's response.   
  
Martha smiled, running her free hand across Diane's cheek trying to take away the tears she was shedding. “I want to say that you were the person who made mistakes in an attempt to do things as well as possible for everyone you loved… When I was little, I never asked you about my father because you completed that place. You never even made me need a father, you took care that I never needed anything... And I don't want to say that I wouldn't have liked to have Kurt in my life, I want to meet him and get to love him as much as I love you. But I can't hate you for something that I, in your place, might have done…” she paused when she felt her own tears fall as well. "I mean I forgive you, mom... And that I love you, regardless of anything that happened."  
  
 _I forgive you..._ Three words so simple but they meant so much, three small words that, at that time, were bringing a little life back to her body. Diane hadn't done everything so badly if Martha had been able to forgive her. She made mistakes, there was no doubt about it, but maybe those mistakes were compensated only a little with everything Diane had been for Martha over those years.  
  
They only looked at each other for a few minutes, they both cried and smiled under their tears. Diane broke the grip of her hands to reach her daughter and wrap her in a big hug, and now she didn't care about all the pain that woke up when she did it, Diane just wanted to feel Martha close, she wanted to understand that this was real and Martha had truly forgiven her the biggest mistake of his life.  
  
"You..." Diane began, whispering, in Martha's ear. "You... are you sure, Martha?" and she took Martha by her shoulders to make her look her in the eye. “You don't have to do this… I understand that you were scared because of the accident and everything, but I'm fine, honey. You must not tell me anything...”  
  
Martha shook her head flatly. "No, I know... I've been thinking about it for several days, but I knew it from the moment I was in the hospital waiting for your medical part... I knew I was going to forgive you, I just needed to think things over and clear my mind..."  
  
Diane slowly stroked her daughter's cheek, still looking her in the eye, and nodded. "You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear this..." she paused a second to see Martha's smile. “I thought you would never forgive me, you know? And I knew I deserved it, but I couldn't stand the idea of never having you again in my life...”  
  
"Mother... You will never lose me, there is nothing you can do to get me away from you," Martha said trying to convince her mother that her forgiveness was true.  
  
Although she still had her doubts, Diane nodded and decided to believe her daughter. Martha was too good and she had a huge heart, it didn't take her too long to understand her mother's mistakes.  
  
From the moment Martha had seen her mother in the hospital, and she feared so much thinking that perhaps she would never see her again, she began working on getting to forgive her. The idea of running away and taking the first flight to go to New York was had crossed several times through her mind, but she always ended up coming to the conclusion that running away from her mother was not going to be the solution to this problem. Martha concentrated so much on how she would discover that she had already forgiven her mother that, when she stopped thinking about it, she had already done it several days ago, Martha only needed to tell her mother, but she was just waiting for the right moment.  
  
  
\----------------------  
  
  
- _Three months later_ -  
  
  
That day was too cold to be out for more than a few minutes. It was early February and the city of Chicago had already dyed white several times, and although it was not snowing at that time, the weather service had forecast a snowstorm for that night.  
  
Diane couldn't help smiling at the thought of how beautiful Chicago was snowy. She was a person who suffered from the cold too much, she should always be warm more than other people and, generally, she ended the winters with the flu, but that year had been different. The last time he had spent more than thirty minutes outside her apartment was during her hospital stay and three long months had passed since that.  
  
She was alone in a taxi, for the first time in who knows how long, heading to the offices of Lockhart - Gardner. The doctor who treated her ankle injury had forbidden her to drive until she could fully recover her mobility, for the moment he had removed her crutches, but it was not yet advisable to wear high shoes. Despite not being able to wear her high shoes, Diane was already very happy that Dr. Méndez had allowed her to return to work, although he had been very clear that she should go slowly and not load with all the stress at once, they both agreed that Diane could go to the office only a few days a week and take some work to her apartment, at first she complained, but then she had to give up and accept what they proposed, anyway she couldn't stand being locked in her apartment for another day.  
  
When the taxi stopped in front of the building, Diane's heart began to pound. She was surprised to discover that she was nervous to her return to Lockhart - Gardner, she and Will had been partners for too many years and one of them had never been missing for so long. She was very grateful to Will, he had taken care of everything without complaining, and she knew it was not easy to take care of both of their jobs at the same time. Among the clients who had wanted to leave the moment they knew Diane would be absent for so long and the same partners at the firm who kept asking when the “duck mother” would return, as David Lee had once called Diane, she knew that Will was under many responsibilities that he had not signed to do on his own. She would return all the favors he was doing for her, although he always told her that all he wanted was to see her well.  
  
Upon entering the elevator, Diane pressed the button that led to the 28th floor and the doors closed in front of her. The elevator had not reached the 10th floor when her phone rang inside her purse, Diane took it and smiled when she saw the name on the screen.  
  
“I'm going on the 10th floor, William. Don't be so impatient,” she said in a funny tone as she answered the call and hung up before her partner could answer.  
  
Will had offered to go find her that morning and take her to the office, but she refused, she needed to be able to do this alone. Diane had already forgotten the last time she could do something alone without Martha or Will's supervision, she understood that they both cared for her and her health, but Diane was too independent to tolerate so much concern for her.  
  
When the elevator doors opened on the 28th floor, the first thing Diane could see was her partner and partner with a huge smile on her face. She knew he was happy to see her again in Lockhart - Gardner, she was also very happy, but she was even more nervous about the reaction of the partners and associates to see her again.  
  
Diane walked out of the elevator slowly, still struggling to keep her balance without her crutches. The orthopedic boot she had had to wear on her foot for almost three months had been replaced by an awkward bandage that kept her tight and a little motionless, but at least she could put on her own shoes.  
  
Will wrapped her in his arms to give her one of his most affectionate hugs, before she could even say hello.  
  
"I'm glad to see you too, William," she said over her shoulder, with a smile on her lips.  
  
“Welcome, Mrs. Lockhart. We are very happy to see you here again,” Will said, smiling as he broke the hug.  
  
Diane nodded and smiled even more. "I am also very happy to return," she said before fighting shouts were heard from one of the nearby conference rooms and both partners bowed their heads toward the noise. "And I must admit that I also missed hearing the screams and fights," Diane said laughing.  
  
"You've chosen a chaotic day to return," said Will with a shrug, but he smiled when he saw Diane's expression. "Well, every day is chaotic in this place," Will added, rolling his eyes.  
  
They both started walking towards Diane's office, Will was going at the speed that Diane could and stopped with her every time one of the members of the firm stopped Diane to congratulate her on her return.  
  
She felt so strange. While the firm had not changed at all, everything was exactly in place as she remembered, for Diane it was so rare to return. She would not admit that she had got used to the quiet life of her apartment, even if she died of boredom in it. She loved her job and loved everything she had built with Will in that place, but the three months she had needed to recover from the accident had been a perfect vacation.  
  
Upon entering Diane's office, she went to her chair behind her desk and sat on it, rather, fell into it tiredly.  
  
“Are you tired, Diane?” asked Will, laughing, closing the office doors and heading to one of the chairs in front of Diane's desk.  
  
Diane laughed and shook her head several times. "The doctor lowered my dose of painkillers and the pain in my ankle feels more than I usually do," Diane explained with a shrug. "Although it also feels weird to come back..."  
  
Will nodded slowly. “I know… But you would be surprised to know that we have all missed you so much…”  
  
She raised her eyebrows and laughed more. "I can't imagine some of our partners missing my presence here..."  
  
Diane did not finish the sentence when the front door of her office opened and David Lee entered. He carried with him a huge bouquet of flowers that he quickly left on the coffee table that Diane had in front of the large armchair in her office.  
  
"Diane," David said as he approached her. "We've all missed you so much," he said, standing just a few feet away from her. "We hope we won’t have to survive without our duck mom again" he continued as kind as he could be. When Diane was about to answer him, he continued talking. “The flowers are from Julius and mine, you don't need to thank us,” he clarified and left the office through one of the side doors of the office.  
  
Diane blinked several times, looked at the bouquet of flowers that had been left on the coffee table and then looked at Will, who was looking at her with the same expression of confusion as hers. "What has just happened?" Diane said before releasing one of her classic laughs. “Julius and David are friends now? I’ve been away for three months and the impossible happens?” Diane asked Will while still laughing for a second.  
  
"You would be surprised at the things that can happen in this firm in just three months..." Will replied laughing as he shrugged.


	31. "Brilliant idea"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we start the countdown, there are only 10 chapters left for this story to end, and maybe there is some surprise later, but I don't want to advance anything!
> 
> Hopefully I will be publishing two chapters per week, if I can upload more, but at the moment my goal is to upload two chapters per week.
> 
> I will be reading your comments as always, and every kudos you leave makes me very happy!

He looked at the time on his watch for the fourteenth time in two or three minutes. Martha was not a punctual woman, and he would already be worried if she hadn't sent him a text message explaining that she might be a little late. He clearly told her not to worry, that he would wait for her as long as necessary. They had been seeing each other for several weeks in the same bar, Kurt preferred that so Martha didn’t have to drive to his house in the countryside every time they wanted to meet, and Diane's apartment could not be used for obvious reasons. Of course, there were nights when Kurt invited Martha to eat and she had to sleep in the guest room since he didn't want her to drive  at night. She first protested, but then ends up giving in because, after her mother's accident, Martha was a little afraid of the curves that the route had leading to the city.  
  
The relationship between them was growing day by day, although they were taking it easy. Kurt loved that girl, everything about her was perfect and, he noticed, he was starting to see her with father's eyes. They had already talked about absolutely everything they could, and everything that time had allowed them to talk, although they always remembered things that were still left to be told. He was really proud of her, Martha had always been an excellent student both in college and university. At one of the dinners between them, Martha had managed to rescue several photos of her when she was little and her newsletters with the qualifications of her time at school from her mother's apartment. Her grades were excellent, and Kurt couldn't help remembering how similar she was to her mother, that intelligence and ability was something she had really inherited from Diane.  
  
When he saw Martha's photos as a child, he couldn't help but regretting not being there. Kurt would have given anything to be present in Martha's life since childhood, he would have been so happy to see that girl growing up, he would have played dolls with her, he would have seen her leaving the house for her first school dance, feeling jealous when she got home with her first boyfriend... All those things that clearly he would no longer be able to live with his daughter, Diane had not only lied and hidden things for 25 years, she had taken him away the possibility of being a father, and that was something he was never going to be able to forgive her, regardless of all the love he could feel for her.  
  
Although he was still upset, Kurt decided to focus on the present and enjoy his daughter from that time to forever. The bad things that had happened could not be changed, and he should not miss the opportunity he had to meet and enjoy Martha in the coming years.  
  
Kurt was taking the first sip of the coffee he had ordered when he saw a young blonde entering. She smiled to his side and began to walk there quickly. When Kurt saw her approaching, he stood up from her chair and wrapped her in his arms to give her one of his many hugs.  
  
"I'm sorry I‘m late..." Martha mentioned as they both broke the hug and sat in their places at the table. “Today is a particularly special day and I couldn't leave the apartment before.”  
  
"Something related to Diane?" Kurt asked as he took another sip of his coffee.  
  
Martha nodded as she took off her coat and placed it on the back of her chair. She was not struck by Kurt's question. When they had both decided to see each other more frequently in order to get to know each other more, he had asked Martha to inform him about everything that happened with Diane. She had immediately been excited about the idea that Kurt had perhaps begun to forgive her mother, but, when she asked about it, he flatly denied all that. Kurt explained that he would love her mother forever and that he wished she was well, but just that, he never wanted to see Diane again, he felt he would never be able to forgive her.  
  
"Today is her first day at work..." Martha explained as he waved to the waiter indicating that he wanted the same thing Kurt had ordered. "She hasn't let me go with her, so I could only wait until she took a taxi and ask Will to let me know if something happens..." she shrugged.  
  
Kurt couldn't help but chuckling. It was funny to see Martha frustrated by her mother's stupidities, although he thought maybe Martha should already know that she would do something like that. "If you needed to go with her, we could have met another day..."  
  
Martha shook her head quickly. "She would never have allowed me to accompany her on her return to Lockhart - Gardner," she replied, rolling her eyes. "But let's forget about my mother's stubbornness for a moment ..." she wanted to continue talking but the waiter arrived at their table to leave what she had ordered. "Thank you..." Martha muttered to the waiter and began putting sugar on her coffee. "How have you been?"  
  
Kurt smiled and shrugged. "If I'm honest, I don't have anything new to report..." although they both knew that was a lie.  
  
Kurt had been all those months trying to find an explanation for everything that had happened to Diane. In itself, he was not a man who talked too much, but after what had happened three months ago, Kurt had become even more reserved than he normally was.  
  
Martha had expected him to continue speaking, but after a moment waiting, she raised her head and frowned. "You are a few words kind of person."  
  
Kurt couldn't help laughing at Martha's comment. But his  smile froze when the memory of Diane telling him exactly the same thing went through his mind, it was one of the first phrases she had said to him at the party they met. The resemblance between Martha and Diane was so great that they even seemed to speak the same, or at least Kurt listened to both of them in the same way.  
  
"Did I say something I shouldn't have said?" Martha asked about Kurt's sudden change in his gaze.  
  
He shook his head from side to side and smiled as he looked Martha in the eye again. "No, you reminded me of your mother..." he murmured, in a tone so low that if Martha wasn't close enough to him, she probably wouldn't have heard. “The day we met, she told me the same thing you just told me.”  
  
Martha raised her eyebrows and smiled. In the few times they had both talked about Diane, she had noticed the change in Kurt's gaze. Whenever she named her for something, Kurt seemed to react differently. She saw her father's suffering with this whole situation, and did not know what she could do to try to change everything, although she knew that it was not up to her to have her parents reconcile.  
  
"But we haven't come here to talk about your mother..." Kurt said trying to change the topic of conversation. "Tell me how have you been... We haven't seen each other for several days..."  
  
The rest of the morning went by quickly for them. Martha told Kurt that next week he would go to New York to accommodate her apartment a bit and go to job interviews, since in the months in which she stayed in Chicago to take care of her mother she had only been able to travel to New York on few occasions and could not have stayed there more than two or three days. Clearly Diane had insisted that her daughter should solve her things and take care of her own life without having to think about her, but Martha had preferred to make sure her mother was fine, she could solve the rest later.  
  
They both had talked about Kurt having to go to New York to get to know Martha's apartment and get to know the city a bit, since the few times he had been there were for work and he hadn't had time to get to know New York a little. She could not believe that Kurt knew virtually nothing about that wonderful city, she loved living there and it had been so many times that Martha had lost herself in that city by walking and walking aimlessly, she usually went out to walk as if it were a tourist, although she had lived there for about five years.  
  
When he said goodbye, Martha remembered that he had to talk about something with Kurt, although she was not sure of the answer he would give her. She had not been encouraged to speak before because if he gave her a negative answer, as it was likely to happen, she would not know how to convince him.  
  
“Do you want me to take you to the apartment? It's too cold to wait for a taxi out here…” Kurt asked when they both left the bar, he frowned when he saw Martha's lost gaze. "Everything is alright?"  
  
Martha quickly turned her head to see him with her eyes widened. "No... I mean, yes... I will accept you to take me to the apartment," Martha said speaking too quickly. _So I have more time to ask_ , she thought.  
  
Kurt looked at her with a worried face and nodded after a moment. "Come, I parked the truck here..."  
  
When both of them had already climbed into the van and put on their respective seat belts, Kurt was about to start the vehicle to take Martha to her apartment when she put her hand on top of his, which was placed in the shifter, causing him to lift his head and look at her with a frown. Martha cleared her throat and tried to find the words to start talking.  
  
"Kurt... I must ask you something, but you must promise me that you would first let me finish speaking before giving me an answer..." Martha's voice was a whisper, and this worried Kurt even more.  
  
"Martha... you're scaring me..." he murmured. "Tell me what happens."  
  
She was about to start talking when an idea crossed her mind. Maybe what she was about to do was not correct, she could use that situation to reunite her parents. A smile sketched on her lips when she turned back to face Kurt.  
  
"Do you remember that a few weeks ago I told you about a young man with whom I am beginning a relationship?" Martha asked, seeing Kurt nod, she continued. "He will come to Chicago to visit me, since we are practically not seeing each other since my mother's accident..."  
  
Kurt nodded slowly. "I'm glad he came to see you if that's what makes you happy," he said sincerely. "Although I wouldn't be understanding what that has to do with me..." he murmured, hoping Martha would continue explaining.  
  
"Well, actually I think I'm trying to ask you if you want to meet him..." Martha's voice had dropped and now it was a small whisper, she saw Kurt raise his eyebrows and try to speak, but she interrupted him. “I was going to introduce Josh to my mother when the accident happened and I decided that it was best to postpone it for later… But then I met you, and when I told Josh that I had finally met my father, he said that he also wanted to meet you…”  
  
"You're so like your mother..." Kurt muttered, shaking his head from side to side with a smile.  
  
Martha raised her eyebrows and tilted her head slightly to the side, not understanding what Kurt was saying. "I don't understand what you mean by this..."  
  
Kurt smiled even more, to the point he chuckled. "You give too many turns to something that is very simple, Martha" he hoped she understood what he was trying to say, but from her gaze he noticed that she still did not understand. "Of course I will meet your boyfriend if that's what you want..."  
  
“I think the title ‘boyfriend’ is a bit big for the relationship we have…” Martha said smiling. "Although it makes me very happy that you have accepted," she continued. “Do you like Saturday night then? I could make reservations for dinner…” Martha asked softly.  
  
Kurt nodded several times. "I think it's great, Martha..."  
  
Martha detached her own seat belt to lean forward, taking her father in her arms to give him a big hug. Kurt also managed to take off his seat belt and returned the hug to his daughter. After several hugging minutes, Martha muttered in his shoulder something that made him immensely happy...  
  
"Thanks dad."  
  
 _Dad._ A word so short that meant so much to him. Kurt felt his chest swelling and his heart began to pound, he never thought that a simple word spoken by the right person would mean so much to him. She had never called him dad yet, and he had simply never thought about it too much, he knew she would tell him when he felt she was ready. While they both knew it was the first time Martha had referred to him that way, but neither of them said anything. Although they both knew what the other was thinking, it was one of the happiest moments of their lives.  
  
  
\--------------------------  
  
  
She would never have imagined that her three-month absence accumulated so much work. So far this day, Diane had already updated with several cases she had to deal with next week, her head had already begun to ache from reading and fixing her eyes on her computer screen, but nothing could cover the happiness she felt for returning to her office. There were weeks in which she spent more time in there than in her own apartment, that place was practically an extension of her life.  
  
It was almost lunchtime, Will had promised to take her to have lunch at the restaurant that was near the offices, it was the place where they always went when they had to celebrate something, and this was clearly a great reason for celebration.  
  
Diane shut down her computer and took off her glasses when she found that there were few minutes left before Will came to pick her up at her office. She was about to finish arranging the folders in front of her when her phone started ringing. Diane took it in her hands and smiled when she saw her daughter's name on the screen, she raised her head to check that Will was still in his office, she smiled even more when she saw him still reading with a frown.  
  
"I must admit that you surprised me... I thought you would call me before," Diane said when she answered the call and put her phone to her ear, leaning back in her chair.  
  
"I didn't want to interrupt your day, mother..." Martha mentioned. “I have already spoken with Uncle Will to let me know anything that happened. So he wrote me a message to let me know that in a few minutes you will go to have lunch together.”  
  
Diane let out one of her typical laughs. "No wonder you are both plotted against me," she mentioned with mock discomfort. "So... If you don't call me to find out about my day... What are you calling for?"  
  
"I wanted to tell you that I talked to Josh, and he will come this weekend..."  
  
"Josh, your boyfriend?" Diane asked raising her two eyebrows.  
  
"He's not my boyfriend, mom!" Martha shouted from the other side of the line, which made Diane laugh even more.  
  
"Well, well... I don't know what to call it..." Diane excused herself by rolling her eyes in a funny way even though her daughter couldn't see her. "Then... Will I meet the famous Josh this weekend?"  
  
“I called you for that, I wanted to know if you are available on Saturday night, I will make reservations for dinner…”  
  
"Of course, honey... Whenever you want," Diane replied as she took her diary and a pen to write down the date with her daughter.  
  
"Perfect! I'll call to make reservations after I cut the call with you,” said Martha, taking a moment to look at the time. “Do you want me to pick you up at the offices around 6 pm? That way you won’t have to take a taxi…”  
  
Diane smiled to herself. "Sure, honey. That time will be fine..." she said while raising her head to find Will standing in front of the front door of her office. "Martha, Will is here... We’ll talk later, okay?"  
  
Martha smiled and nodded even though her mother couldn't see her. "Yes, mom... See you later, I love you," she said, then hung up the call and left her phone on the kitchen island of the apartment.  
  
Her mother had agreed to go have dinner with her and Josh, her father too. Martha had a plan in mind and would do everything possible to get her parents together. Of course she should tell Josh that dinner could end very well or very badly...


	32. "Lunch with the best friend"

"Well, here we are... The last time you brought me to lunch at this place you were going to ask me for something..." Diane said, seeing Will just as nervous as the time he had asked her to go to have dinner with Alicia.  
  
Will looked up to meet his best friend's funny look. "How do you know I‘m going to ask you something?" he murmured.  
  
Diane chuckled and shook her head side by side several times. “It must be that I know you too much, William… Apart from that you are too predictable, you have been trying to tell me something all week and, when you arrived at my office, you regretted it and returned to your office” she mentioned  laughing even more when she saw Will's expression of surprise.  
  
He had proposed that they both go to lunch that Friday with the excuse that they could celebrate Diane's first week in the office after the accident. She clearly agreed, she was not going to ignore having lunch with her best friend, but she knew that the reason for that lunch was not about her and her return to Lockhart - Gardner, they had already celebrated that much.  
  
"Well, ok. There's something I have to talk to you about, but we'll talk after lunch…” Will said resignedly. Seeing Diane nodded, frowning suspiciously, he continued. "It's nothing that you have to worry about, Di... I just need one of your wise  advice"  
  
Diane widened her eyes, with a smile on her lips, as she moved her head from side to side. It was not the first time that Will approached her to ask for some piece of advice, he excused himself by saying that Diane was the wisest of the two since she was a few years older, but they both knew it was because Will was a rather impulsive person. He was not one of the people who wondered things twice before doing them and generally paid for their impulsiveness, so when he had to make important decisions he tried to consult with someone, and that someone was usually Diane. And she was grateful that this was the case, she preferred to advise a friend and to make the best decision than to comfort a friend when he screwed up.  
  
"How are you?"  
  
The question puzzled Diane a bit and Will could tell, since the smile on her lips froze for a second and then she lowered her head trying to work out an answer. _How are you?_ She didn’t know exactly how she was, neither physically nor emotionally...  
  
Diane shrugged and looked back at Will. "I guess fine..." she murmured. “I have been to the doctor this week and it has finally allowed me to use high heels again…”  
  
Will laughed at Diane's response. "Do you only think about using high heels again?"  
  
"Hey!" she exclaimed, tapping  her partner's shoulder gently. "Do not laugh! Most of my professional image is related to my high heels.”  
  
"We all know that about you, Di... I mean, when you entered Lockhart - Gardner on Monday with shoes without any heels I wondered who you were and what they had done with my partner" explained Will laughing again when he saw Diane's feigned discomfort . "But... Diane, when I asked you how you were, I didn't mean exactly your high heels..."  
  
Diane froze her smile again and looked down again. "I don't want to talk about it, Will... I've already told you."  
  
The least he wanted to do was put pressure on her to talk, but she had been ignoring the topic for several weeks and they both knew that Diane should talk to someone at some point.  
  
When she left the hospital, doctors had recommended that she start visiting a therapist, since everything she had experienced in those weeks could mobilize her a little, but Diane flatly refused. She would not accept to go see a stranger to give her advice on how to carry on her life, she had been doing it on her own for 48 years and, despite her many mistakes, she believed that she was doing well enough. Martha accepted this, but made her promise that when she needed to talk to someone, she would call her or Will.  
  
Will had tried to talk to her since the week after she left the hospital, but it was useless, she didn't want to touch the subject. But he knew, even if she refused, that she needed to talk, he knew her enough to notice when Diane's mind was being absorbed by her thoughts.  
  
"Diane..." he began again delicately. "I know it's a topic you don't want to talk about, but I also know you're not well."  
  
The words echoed in Diane's mind for a moment. She had tried that none of those who loved her noticed that she was not well, had tried to camouflage her feelings, at least in front of them, she had already made them suffer enough to have to deal with her mind after the accident. But, from what Will had mentioned, it seems that she hadn't done a good job trying to show herself well.  
  
She looked up at her best friend and partner, took a breath and tried to speak. "Will... It's not something I want to talk about here," Diane murmured, looking around. "I don't know how long I can hold back my tears..."  
  
Before Will could speak again, the waiter appeared on their table with the order, he took a moment to leave both dishes in their corresponding places but, when he was about to retire, Diane spoke to ask for a bottle of expensive wine.  
  
"I didn't know you could drink alcohol again..." Will mentioned once the young waiter left.  
  
Diane shrugged. "Technically I am still taking medication... But if you want us to talk, I will have to have some wine in my blood system."  
  
The waiter appeared again with a bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other. He placed the two glasses on the table, uncovered the wine bottle and served its contents in both glasses. After a few seconds doing this, he retreated again where he arrived.  
  
"What's wrong, Diane?" Will asked again, stopping his gaze on the strange movement Diane was making with her hands, she was nervous. “Listen… We are in a secluded cubicle, nobody is watching us, so you can talk about what you need because it will only be you and me…”  
  
Diane nodded slowly, took her glass of wine and took a long sip of her red content. "I feel like I could never grieve..." she murmured and, seeing Will's frown indicating that he didn't understand what she was talking about, she continued. "When I lost him... I mean, when I knew that I had lost my baby, I had other things in mind and I don't even know if I shed tears for him... Or for her..." her tone was very low, and if Will had not been close enough to her, he probably wouldn't have heard a single word.  
  
"Diane, there were too many things in a very short time..." he mentioned slowly.  
  
She shook her head. "That does not justify me and you know."  
  
"I mean that maybe if you've cried, just that you've cried for the whole situation in general..." he was trying to make her feel better about herself, but he didn't know that it was so difficult to achieve at that time.  
  
"He was a son, Will" Diane murmured as she felt the first tears start down her cheeks. "I was not attentive to the symptoms of pregnancy, I completely ignored that he had come to my life... And then I force him to pay for my mistakes..."  
  
Will's eyes widened as he shook his head. "The accident was not your fault, Diane... Stop holding on to that" he didn'tknow how to make her understand that she shouldn't continue torturing herself with that.  
  
"I am responsible for many things other than the accident, Will..." she clarified in a slightly louder tone. She didn't need to clarify what she meant, they both knew it. "But I feel I didn't cry his loss, you know?" When she saw Will nod and raise his hand to slowly stroke her hand that was on the table, she continued. "It's such a strange feeling... It came into my life by surprise and left without me being able to assimilate that it was there..."  
  
Will continued to caress his hand slowly, thinking exactly what to say but with a little fear of saying it. "You are not alone in this... You are not the only one who has lost a child here..."  
  
Diane looked up at her best friend's eyes and for a moment Will feared for what she could tell him, but his gaze relaxed when she just shrugged. "We haven't talked about it with Kurt, and I think we'll never talk about it... I don't even know if he wanted to have this child with me or not..." her voice went out because of the unsustainable sobs for her.  
  
Will's heart was breaking into a thousand pieces when he heard Diane speak like that, and he felt so helpless that he couldn't do anything to take away a little sadness from her. This was not like everything else that maybe he could help her find some hope that everything would work out. This was the only thing in life that has no consolation... The only consolation that Will found towards her was to slide into the crescent-shaped armchair in which both were sitting facing each other, until she was next to her, and wrap her skinny body between his strong arms.  
  
The food cooled and none of them seemed to care. The hug continued for several minutes, until Diane was the one who decided to break it slowly to take her glass of wine and empty the contents of it. Will squeezed her shoulder and returned to his place in the chair.  
  
"I'll be fine, Will... Don't worry," Diane said, removing the remains of the last tears shed from her cheeks. "So... What was that you wanted to talk about?" she asked trying to change the topic of conversation.  
  
Will widened his eyes and had to think for a moment about what he wanted to talk about. It took him a few seconds to remember and, once he did, he smiled. “I had already forgotten that I wanted to talk to you about something,” he explained as he took the bottle of wine and refilled the glasses. "I think we will need them full after I tell you what I should tell you..."  
  
"Well, that leaves us with two options," she said in a funny voice as she drank her drink. "You have to tell me something very cheerful, then we will have to celebrate for it... Or you have to tell me something very sad and we will have to get drunk for that."  
  
"Excellent point, Miss Lockhart," Will said with a smile on his lips as he also drank his wine. "I wanted to ask you if you will be available any weekend in a couple of months..."  
  
Her eyes widened and then she frowned. "I guess so... But for what?"  
  
"Well, I wanted to ask you to be my wedding godmother and also my witness..." Will explained smiling even more when he saw Diane's expression of surprise. "I asked Alicia to marry me and she said yes."  
  
"Oh my God, William!" She exclaimed practically screaming. "Congratulations!" She exclaimed making the same move that Will had previously made to hug her. "Of course I will be your godmother and your witness, these are beautiful news!"  
  
Will's parents had died several years ago. And on one of their whisky nights at the offices, they had promised themselves that if one got married, the other would take him to the altar, since Diane's parents had died even more years ago than Will's parents.  
  
"Thank you, Di... We are very happy too!" He exclaimed as he let go of the hug with Diane and took the glass of wine again.  
  
"It's my turn to toast!" Diane exclaimed, drinking her glass again. When they both held their glasses up and kept their eyes on each other's eyes, Diane continued. “I toast for you, partner. I wish you and Alicia all the happiness in the world…”  
  
They both toasted and laughed. Without a doubt, this was one of Diane's happiest moments.  
  
  
\---------------------  
  
  
After stirring her entire closet, she finally found the perfect outfit for dinner with her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend. Diane was wearing a black jacket and pants set that fit perfectly her small body, under the jacket she wore a white blouse that had a small neckline, although not too much. On the feet a pair of her huge collection of heels had been placed, although these were a little less tall than those she normally wore. _Nor should_ _you abuse your body_ _improvements, Diane_ , she thought.  
  
Martha had told her that she would find her at the restaurant at 7:30 pm, since she would go directly with Josh to avoid him having to go alone. Diane seemed to have no inconvenience, but Lockhart - Gardner had been chaos that Saturday and she had not been able to escape from her office with enough time to get to her apartment and settle quietly. She had sent a message to her daughter explaining that maybe she would be a little late, to which Martha replied that there was no problem, that they would both be waiting for her.  
  
Diane left her apartment when the clock just struck 7:25 pm. It was a journey of just 15 minutes from the apartment so she wouldn't arrive so late after all.  
  
Once in the taxi, Diane sent a message to her daughter telling her that she was already on her way and put her cell phone in her purse, directing her gaze to the view she had through the car window. She couldn't help thinking about how things had changed in such a short time, Martha had never introduced any of her boyfriends. She justified herself by saying that they had never become "something else" to present to her and Diane respected her. In part it was because she knew that her daughter would not be involved with anyone who was not worth it, since she knew perfectly her preferences in men. And on the other hand, she had done the same throughout Martha's years of life so she would have nothing to reproach her daughter, Diane had never introduced her to a man because they had never reached that “something else".  
  
Martha always told her mother when she was starting to meet someone, but she never gave names. She only told her a little about the person and then told her about her breakup. Diane had to comfort Martha many times, sometimes she was just sad and, with a simple call, her mother managed to change her mood a little. But there had also been times when Martha had to take the first flight to Chicago to be able to hug her mother and tell her that everything would be fine. Diane knew that her daughter was a very sensitive person with a fragile heart, she was easily excited and then ended up with a broken heart. It was not easy to return alone from love disappointments, that is why Diane had always been for her.  
  
She was so lost in her thoughts that she hardly registered that she had already arrived at the restaurant. She paid for the trip and got out of the taxi, starting to walk inside the restaurant. Once inside, Diane mentioned the reservation on behalf of Martha Lockhart and the waiter accompanied her to her daughter's table.  
  
Diane was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't noticethe gray-haired man who was sitting next to her daughter until she was only a few meters away from the table. The older man seemed to have the same expression of fright as hers because they both stared at each other for a second to turn their gaze to Martha, who was looking at them with a huge smile on her lips.  
  
She was not prepared for this, she was not prepared to see Kurt McVeigh again in such a short time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They must excuse me for leaving them intrigued about what will happen at that dinner, but I promise it will be worth the wait!
> 
> Next weekend I will go on a trip, so I am debating between uploading the next chapter this Thursday, or directly uploading it on Monday. But it won't be too many days before the next chapter, I promise!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter and do not forget to leave your beautiful comments!


	33. "Playing with fire"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I really want you to read this, it's from my favorite chapters! I got up earlier than usual to be able to upload the chapter earlier, so I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Until Tuesday I will not be able to upload the next chapter, since I am going on a trip during the weekend, but do not worry, next Tuesday I will update.
> 
> Thank you very much for reading, I will read your comments! Only 8 chapters left for last :)

He had arrived at the restaurant when the clock struck 7:30 p.m. And, to his surprise, Martha and Josh were already there. The waiter accompanied Kurt to the table that Martha had reserved, although he had seen his daughter, he would recognize her many meters away, _she was so much like her_ _mother._  
  
After having greeted the couple attentively, Kurt sat in his place and frowned at the extra chair beside him. There was not only an extra chair, there were plates, cutlery and cups for four people, but they would only be three that night. He thought they might have been wrong, although this was a very elegant restaurant and it was rare for them to make those mistakes on a reservation there. Kurt preferred not to ask why surely Martha had already alerted the waiter of his mistake and it was a matter of time for them to solve it.  
  
But all his doubts vanished when he saw a very tall blonde woman coming into the restaurant. And, although his vision was not perfect without his glasses, when she approached the young man, he had no doubt that it was Diane. She had not seen him yet, she had stopped for a second to greet a couple at a table that was located on her way to their table, but when she turned to continue walking next to the waiter, her gaze changed to see Kurt sitting next to his daughter. She widened her eyes and her jaw dropped a little, they both looked at Martha with that same expression, but their daughter looked at them with a huge smile. Kurt didn't need much more to understand that this was a Martha trick, she had put all this together to put them together.  
  
"Is the lady your last guest, Miss Lockhart?" The waiter asked, looking at Martha.  
  
"Yes, she is. Thank you very much for leading her here," Martha said politely, and seeing the boy nod and move away, she moved her gaze to her mother. "You arrived earlier than I thought."  
  
Diane was still standing at the side of the table with her eyes wide open, she was trying to figure out what she should do now, if she stayed there and had dinner, or ran out of the restaurant so she wouldn't come back. "I... I left work earlier than expected..." Diane murmured, without changing the expression on her face.  
  
"Magnificent!" Martha exclaimed. "So, I want to introduce you to Josh," she said, running an arm around her boyfriend's back. "Josh, she's my mother, Diane Lockhart," she said pointing to her mother. “Mom, he's Josh Thompson… My ‘boyfriend’…” she presented marking the quotes in the word “boyfriend”, something that made Josh smile.  
  
The young man stretched a hand toward Diane. She turned her gaze and made an enormous effort to try to concentrate on the presentation. "A pleasure, Mrs. Lockhart... Martha has told me wonders about you," Josh said carefully to Diane.  
  
Diane took Josh's hand and smiled at him. "The pleasure is mine, Josh... And just call me Diane" she returned the greeting politely.  
  
Josh nodded and moved Diane's chair for her to sit down, when she did he moved the chair back to the table and returned to his place next to Martha.  
  
"Thank you very much, Josh," Diane murmured, as she took off her coat and placed it on the back of the chair along with her bag. "I thought it would only be the three of us, Martha..." she said looking only at her daughter, not daring to look at the older man beside her.  
  
Martha nodded, still smiling. “It had been that way, but since Josh will only be in the city for a few days and I wanted to introduce it to both of you, I thought it would save us time if I reunited both of you here.”  
  
"Sure..." Diane murmured, not allowing herself to stop smiling. She wouldn't mount a scene in front of Josh, it was the first time Diane had seen the young man and she didn't want a bad impression on her. But the desire she had to shout at her daughter for all this would not go away, Diane would already speak very seriously with Martha when all this circus was over.  
  
Dinner was going on normally because Diane and Kurt just looked at the young couple, keeping their bodies as far away as possible without showing any impolite attitude. Both had barely looked at each other since Diane's arrival at the restaurant, since they knew that if they both looked at each other they would not be able to avoid throwing a sarcastic comment and everything would end in disaster. The young couple had barely noticed the tension between Diane and Kurt, at least from Josh, they had talked about how they had met, about the activities they shared together in New York and how happy they were together. Josh had mentioned how much Martha had told him about her parents, but he never mentioned that he knew everything that had happened before. Martha had told Josh that it was very likely that dinner would not end well, since her parents had not spoken for many months, but she had also told him that she needed her parents to overcome this and get back together. Josh had told her that she was crazy about planning something like that behind her parents’ backs, but that he would help her with this. That's why they both sat that way, so Diane and Kurt had no choice but to sit next to each other. Although the plan was not going as Martha thought, since her parents had barely looked at each other all night.  
  
After hours of conversation, and several bottles of wine and beer, the four were eating dessert. Josh and Kurt talked about the advantages and disadvantages of the gun control law, something Martha didn't think about because she didn't have much knowledge about it and Diane, who had a lot of knowledge about that law, preferred not to comment since she didn't want to talk with Kurt, although she was surprised to hear that Josh was not a Democrat, but was almost a Republican. Although he said he had no political inclination, it was enough to hear him a little to notice that he was more Republican than a Democrat. _Martha, in love with a_ _Republican, what a paradox!_ Diane thought to herself. While the men talked quietly, Martha just listened, Diane thought about how well she and Kurt had managed to survive to that dinner, of course they didn't even look at each other all night, but everyone knew that this could have gone really wrong.  
  
When there was a silence at the table, Martha excused herself a moment to go to the bathroom. Diane had the idea of accompanying her, wanting to withdraw a moment from the tension between her and Kurt, but Josh began to ask her about her profession as a lawyer and the law firm where she worked for more than 10 years.  
  
Diane politely answered all the questions and gave Josh a brief summary of her years at Lockhart - Gardner and how proud she was of her legal profession.  
  
"You're just as fabulous as Martha describes you..." Josh mentioned when Diane finished speaking.  
  
She blushed a little and smiled at the young man. "Thank you very much... But it seems to me that my daughter exaggerates a little," she said humbly.  
  
Kurt had to bite his tongue not to say what he was thinking. Throughout dinner, Diane had been perfect, she had behaved with elegance and maturity, and that made Kurt think about how much he still loved her. He was still so angry with her, he hardly thought about seeing her again in all these months after their last conversation, that had not finished well at all. Kurt was angry with her for having gone there for dinner, he was angry with Martha for having planned all this without notifying them that they would both go, but most of all, he was angry with himself for continuing loving that woman who had done so much harm. Kurt hadn't looked at Diane all night because he believed he couldn't resist the urge he had to kiss her. And this enraged him even more.  
  
"I'm sorry to interrupt the conversation," Martha said when she returned from the bathroom, and only there did Kurt understand that Diane and Josh had kept talking but he hadn't heard a single word because he was lost in his thoughts with his gaze fixed on the glass that contained remains of the dessert. Martha placed a hand on Josh's shoulder and continued. "But, Josh, we have to go... Our friends are waiting for us at the bar."  
  
Josh nodded slowly and looked at the time on his watch. "Ugh, I thought it was earlier... The time has flown by," he said, rising from his chair and looking at Martha's parents as he took his coat from the back of the chair. "It was a pleasure meeting you both... I wanted to tell you that you have a wonderful daughter."  
  
"The pleasure is ours, Josh," Kurt said looking at the young man. Diane watched Kurt speaking for both of them and nodded at Josh showing a perfect smile.  
  
Martha took her own coat and started putting it on when she remembered something. "Oh and don't worry about the bill, I already took care of it when I went to the bathroom..." Martha said winking at her parents. But when she saw that they were both about to start protesting, she continued talking. “I don't  want to hear a single word from either of you. Good evening, I love you!” she exclaimed enthusiastically as she started walking towards the exit of the restaurant holding Josh's hand.  
  
Diane watched her daughter leaving the restaurant with a smile on her lips, until she turned her head and met Kurt's gaze. Her smile disappeared and she sighed audibly, then took another drink from her wine glass. "I didn't expect to see you here," she murmured, looking away from the rest of the restaurant.  
  
"Clearly, neither do I," Kurt said dryly as he leaned forward and placed his arms on the table. "I would not have agreed to come if I had known," he continued, moving his gaze to the rest of the restaurant.  
  
"Me neither," Diane replied in the same tone as Kurt's voice. "Martha doesn't know what awaits her when she returns to the apartment."  
  
Kurt nodded in his direction and continued to look at the rest of the restaurant.  
  
Diane filled her glass with wine and took another long drink. "And I thank you for behaving politely in front of our daughter and her boyfriend."  
  
Kurt widened his eyes and moved his gaze back to Diane. “I was the one who had to behave politely? And what about you?” he asked dryly.  
  
"Me? You know that I wouldn't make a fuss in front of anyone, I'm adult enough not to do that,” Diane replied quietly still, but angry.  
  
Kurt laughed without fun. "Actually, after all that has happened, I can expect anything from you, Diane..." he murmured. "I do not know anything about you. I do not know you."  
  
As strange as it may be, and scientifically unlikely, Kurt's words pierced Diane's heart. She turned her head towards him and put a hand to her chest, she can swear that at that moment she felt a pulse in her heart. He was hurting her, he wanted that and he was getting it. He wanted to return all the pain she had caused him.  
  
Diane looked at Kurt for just a few seconds and, before a tear  fell down her cheek, she rose from her chair as she took her coat and her purse.  
  
Kurt looked at her as she took her things. "Are you leaving here?" he asked without showing a single emotion in that.  
  
Diane nodded slowly without looking into his eyes. "I won't stay here so you can keep hurting me."  
  
"It was not my intention to do so," Kurt muttered, shrugging.

She laughed reluctantly while putting on her coat. "Do you think I don't realize that you just want to hurt me?" Diane asked, making an enormous effort not to break into tears at that moment. “I'm not stupid, Kurt. And although I know that I  deserve every horrible word you have towards me, I don't want to hear them. I don't want you to keep hurting me, I have too many things in my mind, or do you think everything that has happened to us in these months seems small?”  
  
"Diane, you knew this would be like that, it was you who ruined this for both of us," Kurt said in a low but fierce voice.  
  
"Maybe I made mistakes, huge mistakes that have no forgiveness..." Diane mentioned adjusting her jacket and nervously accommodating her hair. "But you're a crappy selfish if you think things ended up like this for both of us just because of me."  
  
He looked at her with a frown. "I know I've ruined things 25 years ago, Diane, but it's been too long for you to continue to hold me accountable for everything."  
  
She smiled sarcastically and shook her head side by side several times. "Think about this..." she murmured, looking directly into Kurt's eyes, unable to stop her tears from falling down her cheeks. "If you hadn't cheated on me 25 years ago with Sarah, maybe today we would be a beautiful family that goes out every Saturday to celebrate how happy they are together."  
  
Diane did not wait for him to answer, she finished speaking, turned on her high heels and stepped out of the restaurant, leaving Kurt completely alone. He didn't stop looking at her until he lost sight of her, then he stared at her empty seat and tried not to cry. He had been stupid with her, but he couldn't repress the enormous desire he had to hurt her, to make her feel only a little bit of that pain he was going through because of her. But what Kurt couldn't understand, or didn't want to understand, was that Diane was suffering the same or more than he was.  
  
"In the end... It seems that you are a selfish shit, Kurt," he muttered to himself as he put on his coat and left the restaurant on the same path Diane had left.  
  
  
\--------------------  
  
  
The apartment door closed behind her quickly, and she felt happy to be able to release the strong sob that had choked on her throat from the moment she left the restaurant. Diane made no effort to try to silence her crying, she knew that Martha was not in the apartment and, although she had been, all this had been for her magnificent idea of bringing her parents together for one night. She wasn't ready to see him yet, he wasn't ready to see her either and she had noticed, maybe they would never be prepared to be together again in the same room. Too much had happened between them, the past and the present would not stop tormenting them and preventing them from being happy. The best they could do was avoid seeing each other, avoiding all situations in which they could end up being alone.  Because both of them had already shown that they could behave politely when the situation warranted it, but, when they were left alone, they couldn't help hurting themselves and that would make them feel more miserable than they already did.  
  
Diane didn't bother to turn off the lights in the entrance hall and directly ran upstairs to lock herself in her room, lie on her bed, hold on to her pillow and cry. She had just taken off her coat and the jacket she was wearing, but she didn't care, she just wanted to fall asleep and forget that this horrible moment had existed. The last noise she heard was that of her heels falling against the wooden floor, then everything was silent, apart from her silent sobs, which stopped when she gradually fell asleep.


	34. "Psilocybin"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to my beautiful readers! Merry Christmas!
> 
> First I want to clarify that this chapter has a reference to the 2x01 chapter of TGF, basically I took a small, but important, paragraph.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and have a beautiful Christmas accompanied by all the people who love you. I will be reading your beautiful comments and thank you very much for reading!

The sun was coming in slightly through the kitchen windows of her mother's apartment, it had been a sunny morning in Chicago, although the temperature was still low. She took another sip of her freshly brewed hot coffee and looked at the time on her cell phone while frowning to see that it was past 12 noon. Martha had returned relatively late last night, so much that she did not even think that her mother could be awake, so Martha did not tell her mother that she had arrived and went directly to her room, she would find out in the morning. But the next day, Martha got up around 10 am and there was still no sign of her mother anywhere, she imagined that maybe Diane had fallen asleep late, since it was Sunday and she shouldn't go to work. She got up, cooked her breakfast and sat down to eat quietly, thinking that at any moment Diane would appear in the kitchen. But Martha really worried when the hours began to pass and her mother still did not get up, she began to remember the moment she was called to inform her of her mother's accident, since the feeling she was feeling at that time was very similar the one she had had that day: panic.  
  
Decidedly, Martha got up from her place at the dining room table of the apartment and began to walk towards the stairs. _Please, be in there_ , Martha thought to herself over and over again as she walked to her mother's room, which was in front of her. She knocked on the door several times, but no noise was heard from inside the room, which made Martha worry even more. She hit again once more but, without hearing an answer again, she decided to enter.  
  
"Mom?" Martha murmured once inside the room.  
  
It took her a few seconds to adjust her eyes to the low light that filtered through the huge windows of Diane's room. The figure of her mother in bed was the first thing she saw and this reassured her remarkably, _she_ _was there, nothing had_ _happened_. But when her gaze met her mother's eyes she immediately knew that something was wrong, Diane had her eyes a little open and her gaze reflected fatigue.  
  
"Do you feel good?" Martha muttered, she hadn't moved since she had entered the room.  
  
"Tell me about it," Diane murmured badly, without moving from her position in bed. Her blankets almost completely covered her, only half of her head needed to be covered.  
  
"I don't understand you, mom..." Martha replied with a frown. “I will open the curtains a little, okay? It's too late for you to still be in bed,” she said as she walked through the room to open the curtains and let some light into the room.  
  
Diane exhaled sharply and lifted the blankets to cover her completely, while letting out a small growl, but she didn't move from the bed. "You are unbearable."  
  
Martha turned to her and frowned at her even more. "And now what happens to you with me?" she asked, showing her confusion in her voice.  
  
Diane laughed down the blankets and then quickly sat on the bed, letting the blankets fall and just cover her legs. She stared at her daughter's expression of surprise. “Do you know what happens with you? It’s that you thought that inviting your father and I to the same dinner would be a good thing” her voice reflected the anger she felt, not only with her daughter, but with Kurt and herself as well.  
  
Martha widened her eyes. "Things didn't end well between you?" she asked in a whisper, while not moving from her place in front of the windows for fear that her mother would throw something at her head. Martha knew the answer to that question, she could see her in her mother, Diane was still wearing the blouse she had worn for dinner and her makeup was scattered all over her face.  
  
"Are you really asking me that?" Diane asked wryly, as if she couldn't believe the questions Martha was asking. "Only in a fantasy girl’s mind, someone who lives in a fairy tale could have thought that dinner was going to end well, Martha" her tone lowered a few levels.  
  
Martha knew that dinner could end badly, she knew it from the moment she came up with the idea of inviting them both. But she never imagined that it would left her mother in that state. "I'm sorry..." she murmured as she slowly approached her mother's bed. “I… I just want you to reconcile. And how are you going to do it if you never see each other?”  
  
Diane shook her head several times, her angry expression was relaxing remarkably. Then she pointed to the place on the bed next to her, telling Martha to join her. "We weren't ready to see each other yet, and you can't get both of us that way because we're too hurt to bear it..."  
  
"But, mom..." Martha murmured already sitting on the bed next to her mother. “You love each other… What else do you need to be together? Do you know how difficult it is to find someone who manages to love you the same way you love him?”  
  
"Oh, honey..." Diane said slowly, while taking one of her daughter's hands in hers. "It's not just enough loving each other for a relationship to work" Diane paused to try to hold back her tears. “Kurt and I have hurt each other too much. And I don't think that has a return…”  
  
"Are you giving up?"  
  
Diane looked quickly at her daughter, she did not expect that question from Martha, she had never really expected that question from anyone, she hadn’t even asked herself that. She shrugged and her tears started rolling down her cheeks again. "I just want to keep him away from hurting me, and keep me away from hurting him..."  
  
Martha was surprised to feel her own tears threatening to leave. "I'm so sorry, mom... I just want you both to be happy, and I feel like it won't be like this until you both get out of this."  
  
Diane nodded slowly, looked back at her daughter and gave her a small smile as she stroked her cheek. “Don't do this again, okay? I don't want to go through what we went through last night when you left with Josh. If you want us both to be present in the important moments of your life, we will both be there. But don't plan to left us alone together again, because it won't work…”  
  
"Okay," Martha muttered, nodding. "But promise me you won't give up..." upon seeing her mother's expression of surprise, she continued. "I know you can both overcome this, but I need you not to give up."  
  
"I'll try, honey..." Diane whispered, without letting go of her daughter's hand. At that time she no longer knew if she was saying it to make her daughter agree or she was actually telling that to herself.  
  
  
\---------------------  
  
  
To be a Sunday night, there were a few people in the bar where Diane was, but she did not think twice about going to that place. Will had taken her there for the first time several years ago and she had loved the classic style of the place, it had become their favorite bar and they always went there when they needed to celebrate some victory in some case or when they simply wanted to forget the horrible day they had.  
  
It was about 8 pm when Diane realized that she couldn't stand the silence of the house for a second more, her thoughts were driving her crazy and she needed to get out of there quickly. Martha had gone to spend the afternoon with Josh and had not yet returned, Diane supposed she would not return to her apartment to sleep that night. That was when the idea of going out for a drink alone crossed her mind, although she was not too used to doing it, she took her bag, put on high heels and left her apartment directly to take the first taxi to pass.  
  
When she felt the bourdon coming down her throat she knew she had made the right decision. She needed this, she needed to be in a place with noise and people talking but without having to participate in any conversation, she was just there to drink.  
  
Diane couldn't get Kurt's words at dinner out of her mind. He was being unfair to her, and she probably was being unfair to him. But what Diane couldn't stop thinking about was how they couldn't help hurting each other, every time she saw that man she needed to shout horrible things to him even if she didn't really feel them. She wanted to make him responsible for her suffering and how badly she was going through with all this, although in part it was her fault, she knew that the fault was really her own.  
  
She was sitting on one of the high sidewalks that were next to the bar, and her gaze was fixed on the amber liquid that was in the glass she was holding with one of her hands. She was going for her third drink and could already notice the effects of alcohol on herself. Diane didn't notice that the bartender had been watching her, she didn’t even notice when the young man approached her.  
  
"Hey, I have something stronger, if you want," said the young bartender as he ran a damp cloth over the bar.  
  
Diane looked at him for a moment with one of her eyebrows raised. While she was used to going to that place with Will, they always did it on weekdays, so she knew the people who worked in that place, but it was Sunday and she didn't know the staff that worked in that place on Weekends "What?" she asked trying to guess what the young man was offering.  
  
"Psilocybin," the bartender said with a smile on his lips, saying it as if that were the best known in the world.  
  
Diane shrugged. "I don't know what that is," she murmured.  
  
"Mushrooms ground and mixed with grape juice," the young man explained slowly.  
  
"A hallucinogen?" she asked raising one of her eyebrows.  
  
The bartender shrugged and took the small green jar from under the bar. "Well more or less. They are small doses. You add a drop to the drink... And you will see everything clearer. It's like a brain to the rhythm of jazz,” the young man exemplified, still smiling.  
  
Diane smiled and shook her head. "I don't like jazz."  
  
The bartender frowned. "What do you like?"  
  
Diane had to think for a moment about the answer. "Russian literature... Bach..." she murmured without looking at the bartender.  
  
The young man smiled victoriously. "Then you will love this."  
  
Diane laughed a little, that young man's smile was contagious. "How much?"  
  
"For you? For free. I like that smile,” the young man explained, still smiling.  
  
Diane smiled even more, placed a $20 bill in the tip jar and took the small jar with her right hand.  
  
"Death and sex... They connect you to life," the young man reflected as if he were thinking out loud.  
  
She looked at him for a moment, not understanding too much of what he was talking about. "You know what? I will wake up tomorrow and I will realize that this conversation has never existed,” Diane murmured with a smile, as she stood up from the bench she was sitting on, with her back to the young barman, and began to walk towards the ladies' room.  
  
Was she seriously considering drinking from that jar? She couldn't help thinking about the consequences that would bring. She had never used drugs, maybe once in college she had smoked pot but that was all, she hadn't even been interested in smoking tobacco. But this was different, maybe she needed to get out of that reality that would drive her crazy, she needed to stop thinking about everything that had happened after the accident for a moment. The loss of the baby, her argument with Martha and her breakup with Kurt occupied her mind all day. While she had managed to get a little distracted this last week with her return to work, it was true that, when she was completely alone and with nothing to concentrate on, her thoughts were trying to drive her crazy.  
  
Diane looked in the mirror for a moment. _It will only be once, for_ _your own health you should_ _stop thinking for a moment_ , she thought trying to convince herself that drinking from that little bottle was a good idea. _Try_ _it once, if you don't like it you_ _can leave it whenever you want._  
  
She searched her bag for a moment, took the green bottle between her fingers, with her other hand she opened it and placed three or four drops on her tongue, then closed the bottle again and put it back in her bag. Diane looked in the mirror again a few more seconds, perhaps looking for some sign that the hallucinogen had already taken effect on her. After being such a moment, shethanked that the ladies room was depopulated, since her attitude was quite strangebefore anyone's eyes. She touched up her makeup, adjusted her hair a little and left the bathroom.   
  
Diane looked at her watch that said it was barely 9 pm. Her mind was debating between going to her apartment or staying at the bar and having another drink. When she had decided on the first option, and was arriving at the exit door of the place, she felt someone taking her arm and turning her around to face her.  
  
Her eyes widened, as she looked at the man who still had his hand around her arm. "May I know what you are trying to do?" she asked with a smile.  
  
"Excuse me," the older man murmured, releasing Diane's arm. "I was sitting on that side of the bar," he explained, pointing to the place. “Waiting for you to leave the bathroom to be able to invite you for a drink. But, as I was seeing that you were leaving, I could not help approaching to ask…”  
  
Diane looked at the man's brown eyes while still smiling. "What did you want to ask me?" she asked pretending not to understand what the older man wanted.  
  
He smiled. "You are one of the people who want everything well expressed" he replied while still smiling, when he saw Diane nod, he continued. "I was wondering if you would like to have a drink with me..."  
  
"Sounds good to me," she replied. A voice deep inside her whispered that this was notsomething she normally did, although she didn't pay much attention to that voice. "My name is Diane," she introduced herself, stretching her arm to greet the man.  
  
"My name is David," he replied, taking Diane's hand.  
  
"David?" she exclaimed releasing one of her typical laughs. "I understand everything now... I mean, I work with a man named David and you are quite similar to him but, on the contrary, you are quite a nice character."  
  
"It seems that this is one of the characteristics of people called David," he murmured as he led her back to the bar and ordered two drinks from the young barman.  
  
  
\-----------------------  
  
  
Although her eyes hadn't fully opened, she knew she was already awake, she knew when she began to feel a strong pain in her head. Surely she would have taken more than the previous night, it was clear that she would not return to her apartment in the same state she had left. But when she opened her eyes slowly, she knew instantly that she was not in her apartment, the bed sheets brushed her naked body and then she remembered everything.  
  
Diane turned her head quickly to meet a man, who was clearly not Kurt, by her side. She closed her eyes tightly trying that with that everything she was remembering had not happened. Too much alcohol, along with the hallucinogen that didn't help her at all, caused her to end up in a stranger's bed. I will never take that thing again, she thought immediately. Diane had to make an effort to remember the name of the older man who lay sleeping beside him, _David_ , she recalled after a moment, she would never forget that name.  
  
The man was not bad, he was tall, not too skinny and his short hair showed only gray hair. Diane thought that maybe that man was the same age, maybe he was a few years older, but she was surprised to consider someone handsome. She would never have imagined that she would be able to look at another man other than Kurt, of course she had done it long ago, when Kurt had not reappeared in her life. But there she was, only a few months after her breakup with Kurt, her heart shattered, in the bed of a stranger, completely naked, watching as that man slept after a night full of sex.


	35. "New experiences"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear and beautiful readers, here is the last chapter of the year! In my country there are still several hours until 2020 arrives, but I know that some countries have arrived. Anyway, I want to wish you a very happy new year! And may this year fill you with all your wishes!
> 
> Thank you very much for reading, for commenting and for making my 2019 a year a little more beautiful with all the love you give me!

The apartment door opened without making any noise and she entered with her high heels in one hand, walking on her toes. It wasn't early, it was around 10 in the morning, but after not spending the night in her apartment, with her daughter in the city, she couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed. Diane closed the door behind her slowly, once inside the apartment, she sighed. She was not the type of person who spent the whole night outside her home without telling someone she would, when Martha was little, she had rarely left her with a babysitter all night, and most of those few times had been because of her work and not because of a date with a man. She had always tried to put her daughter first, and mostly she had succeeded. Martha did not demand too much, on the contrary, the girl had spent all her adolescence trying to get her mother a boyfriend, although she had not achieved it at all. Diane refused to date any of her friends' parents. Widowers, single or divorced, however, she did not want to mix her daughter in her love relationships. And this is how the only “father figure” Martha had in his teens was Will, although he was more like an uncle than a father.  
  
She left her shoes very slowly on the floor, next to the table on which she had placed her purse, then she took off her coat and placed it in the closet in front of the table. All her movements were slow, thinking that perhaps she could prevent her daughter from discovering she had been absence all night, although she already assumed that Martha had entered her bedroom and had discovered that she was not there. The surprising thing for Diane was that her daughter had not written a single message and had not called her. _Maybe she_ _hasn't slept here either_ , Diane thought as she walked towards the kitchen with the intention of preparing a coffee that would take away the little hangover she had. With Josh in town, Martha must have stayed with him in his hotel, it would not be the first time her daughter was absent without warning, although Diane could not claim anything, her daughter was already a grown up woman.  
  
The noise of footsteps coming down the stairs made her shiver a little, but Diane didn't have time to turn where the noise came from, since when she did that, her daughter was already inside the kitchen looking at her with a raised eyebrow. She was wearing her pajamas and her feet were only covered by a pair of socks, her hair was disheveled and on her face it looked like she had just woken up.  
  
"Shouldn't you be working?" Martha asked as she headed toward the refrigerator to get a bottle of water.  
  
Diane frowned and thought for a moment, she had completely forgotten that it was Monday and she had to go to work. Her eyes widened and she quickly thought of an excuse for her confusion. "I... I have the first meeting after noon."  
  
Martha nodded slowly, without looking at her mother, drinking from the glass of water that had just been served. "Do you know what is really strange?" she asked, leaning on the kitchen island still holding her glass of water. "Uncle Will sent me a message just a few minutes ago asking me if I knew anything about you, since you should have been in the meeting with the partners about half an hour ago..."  
  
Diane opened her eyes enormously trying to find a coherent excuse for her daughter, although her mind didn't seem to collaborate with that. "I... I've been..." she stuttered without getting to say anything in particular.  
  
"And that's not all," Martha continued, interrupting her mother's stuttering. "You arrived at your apartment at 10 in the morning after spending the night in who knows where and you are still wearing the clothes from last night..." she explained, trying to sound as serious as possible, although inside her she couldn't stop laughing at how funny the situation was. "So... Are you going to tell me what's going on, mother?"  
  
Diane sighed and shook her head several times as a sign of surrender, she took her coffee cup in her hands and gestured to her daughter so they both sit at the dining room table. “Well, I'll tell you what’s going on, but you can’t say a single word to Will. Because he will probably scold me if he finds out.”  
  
“Okay, I won't say anything. But you should talk to him because he is worried,” Martha murmured.  
  
Diane nodded several times. "Last night I only went out for a drink at a bar... One thing led to another, I met someone, we drank too much and I think I ended up in a hotel room with him" she explained speaking faster than she used to and with her increasingly flushed face.  
  
Martha's jaw dropped and a loud laugh came out of her. She would never have imagined all that, when she thought about where Diane could have been she came to assume that maybe her mother had met Kurt and they had both spent the night together, although it was quite unlikely after the dinner they had had last Saturday because of her, but Martha would never have imagined that her mother would end up in a hotel with a stranger. Her mother was a serious person, and even many people could consider her perfect in many ways, but Diane's private life had always been a mystery to almost everyone, even to Will and Martha who were the ones who knew her most.  
  
"Clearly I expected anything but this," Martha murmured once her laughter was diminishing. "You never let me meet any of the men you've been with, and you haven't told me if you've been with any..."  
  
Diane shrugged, still blushing. "I don't think it's convenient for you and I to talk about my love life, Martha," she said and tried to get up from her place at the table but her daughter took her hand and forced her to remain still. "And now what else do you want to know?" she asked, rolling her eyes.  
  
Martha shook her head slowly. "Don't worry, I just wanted to tell you that if you don't want to tell Will, I can cover you."  
  
Diane nodded again, she took the last drink from her coffee cup and tried to get up again, but although this time she succeeded, her daughter interrupted her again.  
  
"Mom?" Martha called causing her mother to turn to look at her. "I just want to know if this was something of a night or something that can last in time..." her voice was just a small whisper.  
  
Diane shrugged. "The truth? I don't know…” she was about to keep talking but when she thought about why Martha was asking that she forced her to stop.  
  
Martha still felt the need for her parents to be together, although after what had happened on Saturday her hopes had diminished. Anyway, she didn't want her mother to be with another man other than her father, although no one could be able to judge her mother after what Kurt had done to her. But Martha had been waiting so long to find her father, even though she didn't know she was looking for him, that now she didn't want the two of them to be separated. She wanted her family to finally be together, she wanted that typical family she had seen in most of her friends lives at school. In addition, Martha knew perfectly well that Diane and Kurt still loved each other, they only needed time to heal their wounds and stop hurting each other with the past.  
  
Martha just nodded at her mother. “I will go to change my clothes and get ready, I have to accompany Josh to the airport in the afternoon…” and without waiting for a response from her mother, she left the kitchen, leaving Diane alone with her thoughts.  
  
She sat for a long time in her place at the table, turning the empty cup in her hands, while thinking about everything that had happened in a single weekend. She had been a long time like that, but when she finally decided to get up to wash the few things that had become dirty, she heard her phone ringing, which was placed on top of the kitchen island. Diane left the things on the table again and headed towards the kitchen island to take the phone in her hands, she frowned at not recognizing the number that was calling her, but she had already got used to answering those kinds of calls, They were generally future clients of the firm that had obtained their number through mutual friends.  
  
"Hello?" Diane said after answering the call and taking her phone to her ear.  
  
"Diane?" asked a voice on the other side of the line.  
  
She knew that voice, but could not remember from where. "Yes, here Diane Lockhart... Who speaks?" she asked with a frown.  
  
"I am David," the voice said on the other side of the line, but not getting an immediate response continued. "David Focker... We met last night at a bar."  
  
Diane widened her eyes immediately, she didn't remember giving that man a phone number. "Sure, David. I'm sorry, I had a slightly complicated morning...”  
  
“Don't worry, Diane. I was just calling to check that you were fine, I think you left today without saying goodbye.”  
  
Diane frowned and closed her eyes tightly. "Yes, I'm sorry. It  was not my intention, it was really too late and I had to go to work.”  
  
"It's okay!" Exclaimed David. “But is everything all right? I didn't want it to seem like I am that kind of men who look for a one night thing and don't call back.”  
  
"Oh no!" she exclaimed, laughing truly for the first time since the conversation had started. “I still hadn't thought about that, David. I think you had a deadline of one or two days to call,” she explained with a smile on her lips.  
  
"Well, I'm not very used to this kind of dating, so I preferred not to risk exceeding that limit..." he explained, and by his voice, Diane could tell that he was laughing too. After a few seconds of silence, it was him who spoke again. "Diane, could I invite you to have some coffee one of these days?"   
  
Diane widened her eyes again and had to think a minute before answering. "I... I guess that would be fine..." she murmured, trying not to sound as insecure as she felt.  
  
"Okay, I promise I'll call you one day this week," he promised, just waiting for her confirmation to end the call.  
  
"That sounds good to me," Diane murmured, returning to form a smile on her face. "Until then, David."  
  
"Until then, Diane," he replied so that she would then cut the call and leave her phone on top of the kitchen island again.  
  
She couldn't help smiling like she was 20 again. The truth was that she had no intention of starting anything serious with that man, but she liked the way he treated her. Although they had only been in a bar for a couple of hours, then enjoying a night full of sex without a single drop of love, the fact that he called her the following day said a lot to her. Diane needed something good in the chaos that her life was, she needed some adventure and joy that made her forget only for a few minutes everything that had happened in the recent months. Even if she wasn't the kind of woman who used to do that kind of thing, and she needed that little green jar to feel a little alive and happy again, she would continue to use it.  
  
  
\----------------------------  
  
  
Before going to look for her boyfriend to take him to the airport, Martha had to make another stop. While the place she should go to wasn't exactly on the way to the hotel where Josh was staying, she knew she had to go to that place first. While driving, leaving Chicago, on the route that took her to the house in Kurt's camp, she thought about how unfair she had been with him, with her mother too, but with Kurt even more. He was a man of few words but with a big heart, he had not called her to scold her for what she had done with Diane at that dinner, on the contrary, he did not directly call. It was very likely that he was not angry with his daughter for that, but Martha felt she should apologize to him too, after seeing how her mother had looked after dinner, she couldn't help thinking about how Kurt had felt and she also couldn't help feeling incredibly guilty about it. She thought of calling, but it wasn't something that could be solved with just one call.  
  
The 30 minutes the trip to Kurt's house took went quickly for her, because when she returned to focus on what she was doing, she was only a few meters from Kurt's house.  
  
Martha calmed down a little when she saw her father's truck parked at the entrance to the house, she had thought that he might not be in the house, since she, for the first time, had not called to inform that she would go there. Although her father could be with someone there Martha preferred to put that idea aside.  
  
After parking her mother's car next to Kurt's truck, she got out of the car and started walking towards the entrance door. Before hitting, Martha had to breathe deeply, she was so nervous. She only had to wait a few seconds for the door to open in front of her.  
  
“Martha? What are you doing here?” Kurt asked with a frown.  
  
"I..." she muttered, looking away at her feet. "I think I owe you an apology." She waited for an answer from Kurt, but he just continued to look at her with the same expression, Martha looked up a little and looked her father in the eye. "Can I come inside?"   
  
Kurt stepped aside. "Of course, honey."  
  
Martha entered slowly and just waited for her father to close the door behind her to wrap him in a big hug. She needed that so much, she felt terribly guilty for everything that had happened. "I'm sorry dad."  
  
He wrapped his daughter in his arms without understanding too much what was happening. "It's okay, honey... But I don't understand why you're apologizing for..." he muttered, extremely confused.  
  
Martha broke the hug just to look at him in the eye. "Aren't you mad at me for lying to you about that dinner with Josh and inviting my mother too?" she asked slowly, afraid of the answer he could give her.  
  
Kurt smiled under his mustache and shook his head. "Of course not, honey... I think we've lost too many years together for me to get mad at you for this..." he explained simply. "Besides, you just wanted to improve things."  
  
Martha nodded slowly. "I'm glad that at least one of the two has been able to notice."  
  
Kurt raised one of his eyebrows. "Your mother didn't notice?"  
  
"Well, she scolded me long before she noticed my good intentions," she explained with a shrug.  
  
He smiled again and shook his head. "I'm just going to tell you not to do it again, it was a very uncomfortable and painful situation to live again," he murmured slowly. Seeing his daughter nodding quickly, he also nodded and hugged her again. “Well, it's almost time for lunch. Will you stay to eat?”  
  
Martha smiled and nodded. "Of course, I just have to go back to Chicago in the afternoon."  
  
  
\-----------------------  
  
  
- _A few weeks later_ -  
  
  
Lockhart - Gardner's offices were at peace, a peace that had been going through the halls for too many weeks. The couple of partners had not ceased to be impressed with this, generally the peace in that place lasted only a few days, and sometimes just a few minutes or hours. But when the winter was over, giving rise to the beautiful spring, the lawyers of Lockhart - Gardner managed to maintain the peace and harmony for more than two days in a row, or at least Diane and Will thought the only logical explanation for the tranquility that moved through the halls was related to that. Although there were no really important and massive cases for several weeks, their associates always found reasons to be able to head the law firm with their lawsuits.  
  
Diane was sitting in her chair but with her back to the door of her office, she was with her legs stretched out and placed on one of the furniture she had under the large windows of her office. She was just looking at the sky, it was around 7 in the afternoon and the sun had begun to set. The sunset was one of her favorite moments, but she rarely took the time to sit down and watch a full one. Since she had begun to take that hallucinogen, the tranquility in her mind was growing, perhaps she had stopped giving importance to things that really did not deserve to occupy any place in her mind.  
  
She had been seeing David those last weeks, nothing formal, just some coffees, some dinners, and a lot of sex. He had told her all about his life, he was divorced and had three older children, he worked as an architect about 20 years ago and had already begun to think about retiring. David was a few years older than Diane, not too many, but he had already passed the 50-year-old barrier. She had not talked practically about her life, she had only commented once that she had an older daughter. He knew she was a lawyer, he just had to look for Diane's name online to learn all about her career and the law firm in which she was a founding partner. They both got along, but it wasn't something that would last over time, they would probably end up being friends, as Diane had done with so many of her partners over the years.   
  
And then she thought of Kurt, of course she thought of Kurt. Diane had discovered that he would never stop feeling that  pressure in her chest every time she remembered something of that man, he was the love of her life, nothing would change that, no man who appeared in her life would be even half of what Kurt meant for her. But she also discovered that she couldn't spend her whole life crying for him, unfortunately they couldn't be together and they both had to accept it in order to move on. She had begun to do it, had begun to accept that things were like that and could not do anything to change it, or that was what she believed, although she had not seen that man since that dinner with her daughter and her boyfriend.  
  
A small knock on her door made her shiver a little, lower her legs and turn to where the noise came from. She smiled when she saw her best friend standing at the door. "I thought I was the only one still here..." Diane mentioned, pointing to one of the chairs in front of her so that Will could sat on it.  
  
"Well, I wanted to give this to you first than anyone," he murmured, once sitting on the couch, and stretched his arm towards Diane with a golden envelope in his hand. "For you."  
  
Diane widened her eyes. "What is this?" She asked as she grabbed the envelope and began to open it.  
  
"It's your invitation to my wedding," he muttered again, with a small smile on his lips. "I still haven't left because they had told me that they would come today to deliver them from the press today... Well, I wanted you to be the first one to have it."  
  
Diane smiled when she saw the delicate invitation card. The name of Alicia and Will with golden letters, the beautiful poetry about love that it contained, made Diane fill her eyes with tears. "Oh, William!" She exclaimed, rising from her place to approach him and hug him. "I can't believe you're going to get married..."  
  
Will smiled and accepted her hug. "Believe me, I can't believe everything that has been going on in these months... It seems like a dream..." he murmured on the shoulder of his best friend.  
  
"I'm so happy for you," she murmured, breaking the hug a little to look at him in the eye. "And for Alicia too... I should  congratulate her on being able to marry one of Chicago's most desired and single men," she said laughing, and causing the same laugh at Will.  
  
"Then..." Will muttered after a few seconds in silence, just hugging. "Will you be my godmother and my witness in the marriage?"  
  
She nodded several times. "I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world, Will."


	36. "This can go very wrong"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must apologize for the delay, being on vacation made me practically not at home. But I will try not to make you wait so long for the next one, I know you will want it!
> 
> The dress I imagined in Diane for Will's wedding is the same that Christine used to go to the "The Metropolitan Opera House" on September 26, 2016. I hope you know what it is!
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter and leave me in the comments what you think!

- _Almost two months later -_  
  
"Sorry I'm late..." she apologized when she reached the bar table with several shopping bags in her hands. "In two days it is my best friend's wedding and today was the only day I was able to go buy my dress for the party," she explained, sitting in front of the man who was waiting for her.  
  
"Don't worry, Diane..." David mentioned shaking his head from side to side with a smile on his lips. "I arrived only a few minutes ago."  
  
Diane nodded several times and smiled at him when she finally managed to accommodate all the bags in the free chair next to her. "Have you already ordered?"  
  
David nodded several times. "And I took the audacity to order for you too ... Maybe after all our love encounters I can remember what you prefer."  
  
"Love encounters?" She asked after releasing one of her typical laughs, raising both eyebrows with fun.  
  
David frowned and shrugged. "Do you have any other way to call what we have been doing for the past two months?"  
  
Diane stopped laughing at his serious tone, she widened her eyes and also shrugged. "No... I mean, I don't know," she stuttered trying to find the right words. "It's nothing, I just hadn't thought about it yet."  
  
He nodded but did not answer, not because he had not wanted to, but because at that moment the waiter appeared with their orders. But then, when they both started to drink their respective coffees, he changed the topic of conversation and the previous topic was totally out of his mind, even if it wasn't in Diane's mind.  
  
She couldn't help wondering if she was doing the right thing with her life, two months ago she met David and she had never thought of taking another step in their relationship and transforming it into something more serious. Diane saw David as a friend, perhaps with some special rights than a normal friend, but she already knew that she could never see him as anything else. She could only see Kurt as something else, she only imagined her life next to that man she loved with all her being. Although she also knew that the two of them did not have a future as a couple, Diane had begun to accept that too much had happened between her and Kurt to continue together along the same path. _The love they felt for each_ _other was not enough to keep_ _those two souls together...  
  
_ “Diane? Can you hear me?"  
  
Diane shook her head from side to side quickly, trying to set aside her thoughts and fall back into reality. The man in front of her was looking at her with a frown, waiting for an answer to everything he had told her and she hadn't even tried to listen.  
  
"I'm sorry..." she murmured giving him a small smile. "I kept thinking about some of the work i have to do... What did you tell me?" She asked humbly and then took another sip from her cup of coffee.  
  
David smiled and started telling her about a problem at work. She tried to hear it, but her mind had other plans.  
  
Why was she still in that kind of strange relationship with this man? She didn't want him the way she should want a man at the beginning of a serious relationship. She didn't know what David meant to her, although the “love encounters” they had been having for two months made her happy enough to keep them standing. David was a strange distraction from the chaos that her life was at the time, he was the perfect pretext with which she could pretend to have surpassed Kurt, both for her daughter or Will and for herself. Well, he and the little green jar she always carried in her bag. Diane was doing the same thing she had done many years ago after having Martha and getting her life settled: trying to forget Kurt with the help of everything that was necessary. But she still didn’t understand that if that hadn't worked so many years ago, why would it work now? This was stupid, she lived on a stupid cloud for almost half a year.  
  
"So... What would you do in my place?"  
  
Diane opened her eyes enormously, she had not heard what that man was saying for the second time, and she could no longer ask him to repeat it.  
  
"I... I don't know... It's a complicated thing..." she stammered as she took the last drink of her coffee.  
  
He laughed and shook his head from side to side. "You haven't heard me again..." he mentioned with a smile on his lips, but when Diane was about to speak, he dropped it by putting his hand on hers. "Forget it, you must have your head lost at your best friend's wedding and your work..."  
  
Why was he always so understanding with her?, she couldn't help thinking. It was not the first time she had been carried away by her thoughts and left him talking alone, but he had always been so understanding with her and had never cared to repeat what he had already said or drop the topic of conversation.  
  
Diane smiled at him and took David's right hand in his. "There are too many things going through my head..." she explained, shrugging.  
  
"Do you want to tell me?" he asked softly. "You know you shouldn't do it, but since you know so many things about me and I hardly know you have a daughter."  
  
"My life is too complicated to explain in an easy way," Diane explained with a sad smile on her face. "But you know the most important thing about me..." she added making a clear reference to her daughter.  
  
David nodded and leaned over the table to place a small kiss on Diane's lips. She opened her eyes enormously showing her surprise, but she didn't move away from him, she just forced herself to close her eyes and enjoy the kiss. They had been in bars for many weeks, but they had never kissed publicly.  
  
Although she tried to avoid it, she couldn't help thinking about Kurt's kisses because they simply didn't look like David's kisses at all. And this was not because one of them kissed better and another worse, it was because Kurt's kisses were full of love that made her feel the happiest and most beloved woman in the whole world, a single kiss from him made her legs weakened, he made her heart begin to pound and her breathing became heavier. Instead David's kisses were... normal, like any kiss anyone could give him, those kisses had nothing special about Diane, and that made her miss Kurt's kisses even more.  
  
  
\----------------------------  
  
  
He had stayed with his daughter in a couture shop she used to go to with her mother when they had a special occasion. Martha recommended that place to Kurt so that he could get a good suit for Will and Alicia's wedding, since the invitation had taken him by surprise and he was not used to having events that required the use of a party attire.  
  
He had to leave the truck two blocks from the place, since the store was in an area of typical Chicago bars and all nearby parking places were full, at snack time it was normal for all those places to be occupied. Kurt walked those few blocks quickly, the sun was shining in Chicago and the weather behaved quite well, so it didn’t bother to him walking there.  
  
When he reached the door he looked both ways in search of his daughter, he frowned when he noticed that Martha had not arrived yet, but he relaxed immediately when he looked at the watch on his wrist and found that he had arrived 15 minutes earlier than the time they had set. Kurt put his hands back in the pockets of his jacket, determined to stay at the door waiting for Martha, when his gaze wandered to the bar that was right in front. His eyes took him to a couple who was sitting in one of the windows of the bar, both were kissing very slowly. Kurt looked at the man and as he did not know him, he was about to look the other way, but his gaze went through the woman. He knew that woman, and he only had to go a little closer to the bar to discover that the woman was Diane.  
  
And when Kurt had started to believe that he had begun to forget that woman, he just had to see her with another man for everything he had overcome to come back. He could not see her with another man, his heart broke just by thinking that she had completely forgotten all the love she felt for him. Kurt knew that Diane was not the type of woman who was with any random man, and if she was dating that man it was because she really wanted to. He surprised himself by thinking that this scene had not only broken his heart, but also filled him with jealousy. He had been so focused on his pain, on the lies and on being able to get that woman out of his heart, that it had never occurred to him that the day would come when he would have to see Diane with another man.  
  
Kurt got so lost in his thoughts that he didn't see when the man who was with Diane left the bar. He was only aware of that when he saw him walking by him without having a clue of who Kurt was. He saw that man walking through the rest of the path until he turned the corner and lost sight of him, turned his gaze to the blonde woman who was still sitting at the table with her eyes lost somewhere in the bar. He did not think twice, because if he had only thought for a second what he was about to do clearly he would not have done it, it was enough to see her alone so that he crossed the street that separated him from the bar, walked towards the entrance door and entered the bar.  
  
Diane didn't see him coming, she was only startled to see a man sit in front of her, but she relaxed remarkably the second that she noticed that man was Kurt. She looked at him for a few seconds with a frown, _what was that man doing there?_ If someone had to give explanations at that time, it wasn't her.  
  
"Hi," Kurt murmured, not daring to look at the woman of his life in the eyes.  
  
She frowned even more. She had not seen this man for months and now he sat in front of her as if nothing had happened in their lives. Diane had plenty of reasons to be confused.  
  
"May I ask what are you doing here?" she asked murmuring.  
  
Kurt nodded and looked up slowly to meet Diane's confused look. "I... I was going to meet Martha in the shop across the street," he explained slowly as he pointed to the store. "I just arrived earlier and well... I saw you sitting here..."  
  
Diane opened her eyes enormously. "Did you see me?" She asked stunned, seeing Kurt nod, her face flushed. "Can you be more specific?"  
  
“Do you want to know if I saw you with that man? Yes, I did, I saw you kissing awith that man,” although Kurt tried to keep his voice from revealing any emotion, Diane knew him too much to know that, inside, he was sore from it.  
  
She looked at him for a few seconds, maybe a few minutes, she knew what that man was doing there and that filled her with anger. “I don't understand what you’re doing here. It seems a bit hypocritical of you to come show me your jealousy.”  
  
"I don't understand all this either," Kurt muttered, looking away from the window. "And I'm not jealous."  
  
"Do I have to explain it to you, perhaps?" Diane asked, showing all the anger she felt in her voice. "I think you lost the right to ask me for explanations."  
  
"I know, but that doesn't mean it can't bother me," he exclaimed without bothering to measure the tone of his voice.  
  
Diane opened her eyes enormously. "Annoy you?" she asked sarcastically. “I don't need to remind you that we are both separated, Kurt. And I can do whatever I want.”  
  
Kurt nodded several times a little resigned. "It doesn't bother me that you're with another man, Diane, it's clear that we both don't have to explain ourselves," he explained, turning his gaze to hers.  
  
"Then I don't understand you..." she murmured with a shrug. "Why do you come here to make me this scene?"  
  
Kurt shrugged. “It must be that it hurts me that you have managed to forget me when I haven't been able to get you out of my head for about five months.”  
  
And before Diane even had time to react to Kurt's words, he got up and left the bar without letting her speak.  
  
Diane watched him leaving and turned her gaze to the window to see where he was going, there she saw her daughter standing at the door of the store. She smiled when she saw the beautiful hug Martha and Kurt gave each other, it was the first time she saw both of them together and she couldn't help but fill herself with joy when she saw they love each other so much. They were the two most important people in her life, and nothing that happened with Kurt could change the love she felt for him.  
  
When she saw that father and daughter entered the store, Diane paid the bill and left the bar. What she least wanted was for her daughter to believe that her parents had met in a bar on purpose, she did not want Martha to believe that they could reconcile.  
  
  
\-----------------------  
  
  
Two soft knocks on the door made Will startle. "Come in, Diane.  
  
She entered slowly and closed the door behind her, smiling when she saw her best friend as well. He was facing the mirror finishing fixing his suit bun, looked at Diane through the mirror and smiled even more than he was already smiling.  
  
"What do you think?" he asked, standing in front of her.  
  
"You are the most handsome boyfriend in the world," she said with an even bigger smile. "I want to see you well and keep this image forever in my head, I would never have imagined that I would live so long to see you getting married."  
  
"Hey!" he exclaimed, gently pushing her shoulder, still laughing. "I know it's true, but it's still offensive."  
  
She smiled and began to perfect Will's bun. "I come to congratulate Alicia," she explained, without looking him in the eye, focused on his bun. "At last a woman has managed to marry one of the most coveted singles in Chicago..."  
  
Will hit Diane gently again while he kept laughing. "Have you seen her? Is she very beautiful?” he asked impatiently.  
  
Diane smiled and nodded. "She is beautiful... But in just a few minutes you will see her with your own eyes."  
  
Will nodded and turned to the mirror to see if he needed to fix any imperfection his outfit had. "I think since my first time in front of a court that I am not so nervous..."  
  
Diane approached Will, took her shoulders to turn him around and face her. "You didn't need to mention it..." she replied while inspecting her outfit for any imperfections. "We've all noticed that you're dying of nerves," when she finished, she looked at Will's eyes. "Everything will be beautiful, you'll see."  
  
Will nodded back to her and wrapped her in a beautiful hug. "Thanks for being here with me."  
  
Diane smiled on her shoulder. "I don't want to be anywhere else..." she murmured. They both held each other for a few seconds until they felt again knocking on the door. Diane broke the hug and looked at Will with a smile on his lips. "I think the time has come, Mr. Gardner..."  
  
  
\-------------------------  
  
  
Will and Alicia had decided to celebrate the wedding at a luxury hotel in Chicago. They had only decided to marry by civilian, since neither was really part of any religion. So it seemed perfect that they simply married in front of a judge, although this did not prevent them from making a beautiful ceremony.  
  
Diane was sitting in the front row, next to Alicia's brother, who was the other witness and who had entered with her. In the same row was Alicia's mother and Will's sisters, Diane was the only one who didn't have a blood bond with any of them but that hadn't even crossed her mind, Will was her heart brother and nobody could deny that.  
  
The ceremony went by very quickly, but it was still very emotional. Will and Alicia had written their own vows, and that had made most of the people there mourn. Diane was surprised to look back and see her daughter with her boyfriend and Kurt sitting next to them, she knew he was invited, Will had told her and she had already seen him when he entered the room with Will, but what really surprised her was to meet that man watching her with tears in his eyes, she simply smiled at him and turned her gaze to the newlyweds.  
  
"Then I declare you husband and wife..." the judge mentioned with a smile. "You can kiss the bride, Mr. Gardner," he continued, looking at Will.  
  
Will nodded and turned to Alicia to kiss her in the most beautiful and tender way you could imagine. Everyone present stood up from their seats, taking the basket with rose petals that had been delivered to them at the beginning of the ceremony, and began throwing those petals at the bride and groom while shouting "Long live the bride and groom!" The love they both felt for each other had just become legal, and sealed with a perfect alliance in their hands. Alicia's children were the first who approached the happy newlyweds to fill them with hugs and kisses. Diane could not help but crying when she saw that image, it was so beautiful to see her best friend surrounded by so much love, and above all, to see him completely happy. This was one of the happiest moments in her life, she would never forget this day.  
  
  
\-----------------------  
  
  
The party continued in another room of the luxurious hotel. The guests quickly moved there and placed themselves in the places that the newlyweds had assigned them at each table. Kurt looked for his place and, when he saw the table that belonged to him, he saw Diane sitting on it too while talking with Josh, her daughter's boyfriend. He sighed and started walking over there, it was clear that Will had sat them on the same table on purpose, probably driven by Martha, but after seeing that woman at the bar with another man just two days ago, he felt a little shame for what he had done.  
  
Kurt sat at the other end of the round table, where there were other members of Lockhart - Gardner, apart from Martha with Josh. He watched Diane practically all night, watched as she drank glass after glass of champagne. _Surely she would_ _be trying to get through this_ _awkward moment_ , Kurt thought, since everyone at the table knew what had happened between them and surely they kept thinking about it.  
  
After eating the different dishes that were served to everyone, the dancing moment began and all the guests went to the dance floor. Diane and Kurt were left alone sitting at the table, but both at completely opposite sites. It was her who rose first from her place, took the last sip of her glass and began to walk towards Kurt. He could not help bit thinking how beautiful she was, Diane was wearing a beautiful long tight green dress, which perfectly marked her slim figure, barely wearing a neckline and her heels were much taller than those he was used to seeing in her. She was beautiful, that woman was beautiful and she was the woman of his life, the great love of his life no matter how many times he had denied himself.  
  
Diane sat next to him and turned to look at him. "I think we should forget everything for tonight," she said, causing a look of confusion in Kurt that made her laugh. “Come on, Kurt! Everyone is looking at us, we are the most commented topic of the night after the newlyweds.”  
  
"You're drunk, Diane..." he muttered, shaking his head several times.  
  
"Maybe..." she mused, grabbing two more glasses from one of the trays that the boys carried around the room. "Take it," she said, giving one of Kurt's glasses. “Get drunk too, and let's forget everything sad about our lives just for one night.”  
  
Kurt looked at Diane even more baffled than before, but he took the glass she had offered him. Actually he had already had several shots of wisky before, but he was not as drunk as Diane yet, he just lacked a little more alcohol in his system. "Okay... But tomorrow you'll regret this..."  
  
"Probably" Diane mentioned with a smile on her lips. "But now I need this..." she continued and raised the glass telling Kurt she wanted to toast with him. "Toast for tonight, and to the bride and groom."  
  
"To you and the couple."  
  
Both collided their glasses and drank the liquid from their glasses while looking into their eyes. _You will regret this_ , Kurt tried to remind himself, but it was too late, that woman had put him in her game and now he wanted to know how far they could go.


	37. "Segurity"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I don't have much to say, just have a good read and don't forget to tell me what you think!

_Security_. Security is a word that is used to define when a place or a person feels that nothing bad can happen to them, that there are beyond the reach of any danger that may face them. People often experience that feeling of complete confidence and security in their own home, when someone take care of them or simply in the arms of the love of their lives. You may believe that most people want to feel safe all the time, although it is logically impossible to be completely safe all day, since there are times when our own safe place hurts us, we would all give anything to find our safe place in the world and never leave there.  
  
Diane had her safe place, where she felt happy and protected, where no one could harm her, and it was so perfect that she could not believe it was real. She had never thought about her safe place until then, when she woke up in the strong arms of the love of her life.  
  
The first thing Diane saw when she woke up was the strong sun coming through the huge window in her room, completely lighting it up. But when she tried to turn to face it, she was caught between two strong she he knew perfectly well. She almost believed that those months that had passed had not existed, that everything had been a sad nightmare and that there was Kurt, next to her, as it always should have been. But after a few minutes, the memories of last night were slowly reaching Diane's mind.  
  
  
 _When Will mentioned to her_ _that Kurt would be invited to_ _her marriage she was enraged._ _And although Diane tried to_ _dissuade her best friend to_ _leave her ex-boyfriend out of_ _the party, Will was very_ _determined with his decision to_ _invite Kurt, apart from the fact_ _that the invitations had already_ _been delivered and he was not_ _going to cancel that man's_ _invitation on a whim by Diane._  
  
 _"I think it is time for you to face_ _the situation as the adults you_ _two are," Will said when they_ _talked about it, but Will did not_ _know, or did not understand,_ _that the broken love was_ _stronger than maturity. It was_ _when Diane saw Kurt sit at the_ _same table she was sitting on,_ _that she knew she would not be_ _able to face the situation_ _without at least being a little_ _drunk.  
  
"This is your work," Diane murmured near her daughter's ear, as she was sitting next to her daughter.  
  
Martha opened her eyes enormously and looked at her mother without understanding what she meant by her accusation. "What?" She asked just before her mother looked at the man who had just sat in front of them. "Oh, dad..."  
  
"Yes, your father, I don't know what he is doing here," Diane said, showing her anger in her voice.  
  
Martha rolled her eyes. "I may have had something to do with this, although Uncle Will wanted to invite him before I went to suggest it... But you two have to stop behaving like children."  
  
Why did everyone ask for the same thing? They were not behaving like two children, they were two adults trying to cope with one of the saddest moments of their lives, and they did it the best they could but it was not easy for them.  
  
"I would like to know how any of you would act in this same situation..." Diane murmured, moving her gaze to Kurt, who was very entertained talking to Josh.  
  
Martha turned her head to her mother and frowned. "Are you talking to me? I didn't hear what you said.”  
  
Diane shook her head from side to side. "I didn't talk to you, I just thought out loud," she explained to her daughter but without looking at her.  
  
Her gaze was still placed on the handsome man she had sitting in front of her. The classic black suit that Martha had chosen for her father was extremely smart, apart from perfect for the occasion, and next to the black bow and white shirt made the perfect ensemble. She loved seeing him in a suit, although he hated to wear it and preferred field clothes, she couldn't remember more than three or four moments when he had worn a suit with her.  
  
Diane's gaze fell so long on that man that she stopped paying attention to what was going on around. She didn't see when Josh moved back to her place next to Martha, she was only aware of this when Kurt also stared at her. He looked at her with a frown, hoping she would stop looking at him as soon as she noticed his gaze on her. But Diane, far from looking away from him, continued looking at him inexpressively, and so they were several minutes. They just looked at each other, showing no emotion in that.  
  
"Mom?"  
_  
 _She heard her daughter calling_ _her and had to look away from_ _Kurt to look at Martha. "What?"  
_  
 _Martha looked at her father,_ _who looked at them with a_ _smile and looked away, and_ _smiled. "Sorry to interrupt you..._ _But Uncle Will has been calling_ _you for several minutes," she_ _explained and pointed to Will,_ _who beckoned Diane to come_ _near.  
_  
 _Diane blushed when she_ _noticed that her daughter had_ _noticed everything, she nodded_ _towards her daughter and_ _stood up from her place to walk_ _to the main table where her_ _best friend was waiting for her.  
  
  
_ "Oh my God," she murmured as she remembered everything that had happened last night, but without moving from the position in which she had woken up.  
  
This was clearly a mistake and Kurt had warned her that she would regret all this the following day. But Diane did not regret it, in fact she had spent one of the most beautiful nights of her life. Not only her best friend got married, but she had been able to spend a night full of love with the man she loved most in the world. Diane regretted it, because she was playing with him in this way, she knew, or wanted to believe, that the most damaged in all that had been suffered by Kurt and that made her feel even more guilty.  
  
"Kurt," she murmured, trying to get away from him a little. "Kurt, wake up."  
  
His eyes widened lazily upon hearing Diane's second call. Kurt looked at her in the eye for several minutes before he could understand what was happening there, but when he did, his arms quickly pulled  away from that woman and his gaze lost its sleepy expression.  
  
They both looked at each other from the ends of the bed, their eyes only reflected their fear for what they had done that night, but neither dared to speak. Diane had taken the sheets to her chest to cover her naked body as much as possible, tears accumulated in her eyes but she was willing not to let them fall yet. Kurt, on the other hand, was barely aware of the nakedness of their bodies, just looking at that woman trying to understand the stupid things they had done that night.  
  
"I told you we would regret..." Kurt murmured in such a low tone that, if Diane's apartment had not been in deep silence, she would not have heard it.   
  
"I don't regret it, Kurt," she said in a slightly louder tone. "I do not regret anything that happened last night..."  
  
Kurt nodded and slipped out of bed to take his underwear and pants to put them on. When he finished, he turned to Diane, who watched his movements carefully without saying a single word. "I shouldn't have heard you when you proposed this to me."  
  
Diane dropped a single tear, which ran her before it reached the end of her face. "I understand that this is not easy for you..."  
  
Kurt shook his head and smiled sarcastically. "If only you understood a little of everything I am feeling, maybe you would let me start to get over you once and for all."  
  
Diane widened her eyes. “Are you the one who is telling me this? I can't believe it!” she exclaimed, showing how absurd it seemed. "It was you who appeared at the bar where I was to make me a jealous scene, Kurt."  
  
"It wasn't a jealous scene!" He shouted too soon, leaving the latter he had just said in doubt.  
  
“Yes it was, Kurt! I'm not an idiot,” she shouted like him, getting out of bed with the sheets curled up in her body. "And let me tell you something else, you are not the only one who is suffering here, I think it is time for you to begin to understand it," she said, in a lower tone, while taking one of her robes and putting it on her body.  
  
"But you seem to carry your suffering in a much more pleasant way than mine... Do I need to mention the man I saw you kissing with at that bar?"  
  
"That man is called David, and you have no right to continue judging me by my decisions," she said, standing just a few inches from him, with her hands on her hips.  
  
Kurt looked at her for a moment, with no expression on his face. "It is my right when your decisions hurt me."  
  
"I try to keep my decisions away from affecting you, Kurt."  
  
"But nevertheless here we are, Diane," he said, pointing to everything around him. "We spent months trying not to talk or see each other and we ended up going to bed on the first night we met."  
  
"This will be for something, Kurt," she murmured, sitting back on the bed, but still looking at him. "Don't you realize we can't go on like this?"  
  
Kurt nodded but did not move from his place. "But we will have to, Diane... We have a daughter who unites us for a lifetime."  
  
Diane nodded slowly, and let the tears fall even faster through her eyes at the thought that went through her mind, looking away from him to the floor of the room. A few minutes passed before she spoke again. "And our love?" She asked without looking at him.  
  
He shrugged and tried to maintain his composure and not collapse just like her. "I don't know..." he muttered slowly.  
  
  
 _They both laughed and drank all night, not caring about the rest of the room, but especially Martha and Will, who could not understand what their eyes were seeing. It was clear that they were drunk, because they had even danced together on the dance floor when the DJ played one of the songs that were heard from when they were young and went out to dance. At one point, Martha thought about going to talk to them about what they were doing, but on the other hand she was very happy seeing them like that, it was the first time Martha had seen her parents have a conversation without insults in between.  
  
When the party ended and the music stopped after many hours, the couple were both sitting in two chairs, holding hands, exhausted. It was Will who was drunk, since Alicia did not want her children to see her in that state, although the two young men had already left the party several hours ago. Anyone who saw them like that, practically stretched out on two chairs, totally untidy after what was the best night of their lives, would say that they are dying of envy. Anyone would want the beautiful love they both had.  
  
Martha and Josh were looking for their belongings to leave, they both had drunk but were relatively well compared to the rest of the guests. She would spend the night at the hotel where Josh was staying, since she felt that her mother would want the apartment for herself. The young couple approached the married one and said goodbye to both of them with a big hug and a “good trip!” as the newlyweds were leaving the next honeymoon day to a small island in Central America.  
  
When they both approached Diane and Kurt, Martha couldn't help laughing at how funny the scene was in front of her eyes. Her parents were laughing, together, while remembering the stupid things they had done when they were young. Martha always wanted to see them like that, laughing, any problems involved, she wanted to see them happy and living that great love she knew they both felt for each other. She wished that the time would come for both of them to overcome their wounds and get back together, she wanted so much that family with which she had dreamed of so much as a child.  
  
"I will sleep at the hotel with Josh, Mom," she murmured in her mother's ear, as she hugged her to say goodbye. "I'll take your car because I don't think you're in a position to drive."  
  
Diane laughed and nodded. "Okay, honey... Have fun!" she exclaimed, making her daughter blush.  
  
Martha pushed her mother's shoulder. "And you two behave, I leave the apartment for the two of you alone but don't do crazy things that you will regret later," she said looking at her two parents.  
  
"Please, Martha!" Kurt exclaimed. "What could go wrong?"  
  
  
_Kurt quickly went down the stairs, buttoning his shirt. Upon arriving at the first floor of the apartment, he began to look for the jacket he was wearing the night before. When he entered the living room, he heard Diane coming down the stairs behind him, at the same speed.  
  
"Kurt, wait!" She exclaimed, trying to keep that man from leaving. When she entered the living room, he was putting on his coat and taking the keys of his truck. “Why don't we try to talk and solve everything? We are only hurting each day a little more…”  
  
He looked at her and shrugged. "I don't see how we can solve this, Diane."  
  
"Why is everything so difficult?" she asked, but not towards him, but towards life in general. "I love you, Kurt... I love you more than anything in this world," she said, now to him, letting out a sob contained in her throat.  
  
Kurt nodded at her. "I love you too, Diane," he murmured slowly. "But we can't be together and you know why."   
  
"But why can't we overcome this together?" she asked again, crying more and more.  
  
"Because we hurt ourselves too much, and we can't pretend that nothing happened," he explained, trying to make it sound like the simplest thing in the world, even if it wasn't for him. “Last night shouldn't have happened, Diane. We must behave like adults, you're dating someone and he probably doesn't deserve all this."  
  
Diane opened her beautiful blue eyes enormously, which were now red from so much crying. "I'm not dating anyone, Kurt..." she murmured, feeling ashamed for having to clarify this before him.  
  
"Are you going to deny me what I saw two days ago in that bar?"  
  
She shook her head and looked away from him. "No, I'm not going to deny you... But after that kiss, I left him ..." She  stopped when she looked up and saw the look of amazement in Kurt. "I couldn’t stop thinking about you in the past few months, Kurt..."  
  
He said nothing, just stood there looking at her, without moving a single muscle from his body. She did exactly the same. They only saw their eyes full of sadness without knowing what to do to solve their relationship.

They were like this for several minutes, until Kurt looked away at the keys in his hand. "I think I should go."  
  
Diane nodded slowly, letting her tears fall more and more frequently. "Tell me at least you will think about all this..." she murmured.  
  
Kurt looked at her again and barely showed a small smile on his lips. "As if I could not think of you, Diane..."  
  
  
 _They entered Diane's apartment practically when they stumbled, among them there were only kisses, caresses and laughter, but no words. It was as if both of them were afraid that with their words they could break the bubble in which they were floating throughout the party.  
  
This was love. And it was not love driven by the intoxication of both. It was real love, it was the love they felt for almost thirty years, it was the love they had forced themselves to hide forever, to keep it in their hearts and lock it up. Both were desired, and this was indisputable, they took months without minimally touching. Their bodies felt the need of each other's body, their skins needed the caresses of the other, the kisses of the other, the love of the other. To love each other. Something that was so simple and, many times, so complicated. But for that they were drunk, so as not to have to think even for a second about what was about to happen in that room. They loved each other without words, only with the cries of pleasure that their throats should release. They touched each other, kissed each other, caressed each other, and plucked the greatest love they had felt for so many years.  
  
When their bodies only asked for air, their throats were dry from screaming for passion and their bodies were exhausted, they both huddled together as many nights before. Kurt hugged her and brought her closer to his body, she let herself go without saying a word, just placed a hand on his strong arm. And, as if it was by magic, they both fell asleep in each other's arms.  
  
  
_\--------------------  
  
  
Martha opened the apartment door slowly, trying to make as less noise as possible upon entering. She had given her parents enough time, since it was after two o'clock in the afternoon in Chicago, but still she was terrified of what she could find in that apartment. _Maybe nothing happened, and_ _my mother came back alone_ ,  she thought to herself. But if she got to find her father there, she wouldn't know how to react, because on the one hand she was extremely happy that her parents were back together, but on the other hand she knew that they were both drunk, and that probably today in the morning horrible things would have been shouted. She tried to get those ideas out of her mind and not think for a moment, while slowly leaving her heels on the floor and walking towards the kitchen.  
  
Martha jumped when she saw her mother sitting at the kitchen table, clearly not expecting to see her there. "Are you trying to kill me?" she asked with a smile on her lips and a hand placed on her chest.  
  
Diane looked at her and shrugged, not seeing any expression on her face. "I didn't know you'd come back so soon..."  
  
"It's two in the afternoon, mother," Martha explained, frowning. "Are you okay?"   
  
Diane nodded and took a drink from her cup of tea. "My head just hurts a little."  
  
Martha laughed and sat in front of her. "It's normal to have a hangover after all the alcohol you drank last night," she said, still smiling. "But... It's not just that what happens to you..."  
  
Diane sighed audibly and shook her head. "Over an hour ago your father left..."  
  
Martha widened her eyes and thought a moment before speaking. "How bad was it?" she asked softly.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it," Diane murmured, turning her gaze to the cup of tea.  
  
Martha nodded slowly and rose from her place at the table to go for tea, just like her mother. "You know..." she began, after several minutes of silence. "It's quite strange to hear you say the word father."  
  
Diane looked up and frowned at her daughter. "I do not understand what you mean…"  
  
Martha took her cup of freshly served tea and sat down again in front of her mother. "When I was little, I remember asking you many times about my father..."  
  
Diane smiled slightly remembering those moments. “You were so little… I think you were about five years old or so. You had returned from the furious preschool, so much that your babysitter called me at the office to tell me that she didn't know what to do to control you…”  
  
"I had enough character as a child, didn't I?" Martha asked as she laughed.  
  
Diane nodded smiling. "And you still have it, honey..." she added, earning an angry look from her daughter that made her laugh even more. “Then, continuing with the story, you made me come back from work earlier because your babysitter kept calling me... When I arrived at the apartment, and I paid your babysitter begging her to come back the following day and not give up on your scandal, I went up to your room to talk with you…"  
  
Martha nodded slowly. "I think I remember what happened that day..."  
  
“You yelled at me and you demanded that I give you your father's name… That you deserved to have a father like all your preschool classmates and that I was a bad mother because I hid things from you…” Diane concluded, dropping a tear from her eyes.  
  
"You had too much patience with me, mom..." Martha murmured, still smiling.  
  
Diane shrugged. "You were right... I guess I was very selfish by not allowing your father to enter your life."  
  
"Mom..." Martha mentioned, taking one of her mother's hands in her own. "You did it just to protect me, and I promise you that I will never reproach you for everything that happened in those years... That's it, we can't change the past."  
  
Diane nodded slowly and placed her free hand over her daughter's hand. "I would give so many things to change just some of everything I did in the past..." she said, letting her tears fall down her face, just like her daughter's.  
  
"What happened can't be changed..." Martha murmured, still looking at her mother's eyes. "But you can try to fix things now..."  
  
Diane smiled at her daughter and shook her head slowly. "No... There are things that can’t be fixed, Martha," she murmured, trying to suppress her sobs. "With your father there can be nothing but the bond that unites us for being your parents, we have already broken everything else between us..."  
  
Martha got up from her place and walked towards her mother, knelt in front of her and wrapped her in his arms. Diane clung to her daughter and allowed herself to cry everything that her heart was repressing, all that pain her heart felt, broken into a thousand pieces.


	38. "Try to put yourself in my place"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to my sweet readers!
> 
> I am very sorry to tell you that I will not be able to upload a new chapter for approximately two weeks, as I am going on vacation. But I promise to return towards the end of January with the final chapters and a little surprise that I have prepared for you!
> 
> I must clarify that this chapter has a small reference to chapter 1X18 of TGW.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter, I will be reading your beautiful comments! Thank you for reading!

- _About two months later_ -  
  
  
She had been working on the same case all morning, although it took several weeks for the judge to dictate the trial date, she always tried to keep up with her work. Although it was true that she had worked practically harder than she used to work since she had seen Kurt, after the little discussion they had had in her apartment after spending the night together. She tried to forget everything that had happened, or at least stop thinking about it for a moment, and she found no better way out for that than work. It had been months since the last time she was in the office less than half a day, she was trying to forget all the complications in her life with her pending cases. It had also helped that she had to deal with Will's pending cases, since he, along with Alicia, had taken a two-month vacation from their obligations as lawyers to go to their honeymoon.  
  
Diane lifted her eyes from the folder she had on her desk and smiled when she saw her best friend enter her office, but then she saw that he was bringing more folders that he probably needed her to read for him. Will had returned to work a week ago and had already taken a rather complex and confusing case, Diane had insisted on taking that case herself so he wouldn’t have to deal with such a complicated case in his early days after his return, but he flatly refused. _Always so_ _stubborn_ , she thought, with her eyes blanked, when she agreed to keep the case.  
  
"This is more complex than I expected..." Will murmured as he spread the folders he had in his hands on the coffee table, then sat down in the large armchair in front of the table. "Do you think you could help me at the trial?" he asked.  
  
Diane nodded slowly, took off her glasses and threw them on her desk. "I knew this would be too much for you after the two months of honeymoon..." she mentioned with a smile on her lips, letting her see her best friend that she was right when he asked her to let her take care of the case. Sooner or later, Will would put aside his enormous pride and ask her for help.   
  
Will shrugged. “You know why I wanted to take this case, I read everything I could about him before the wedding but I can't find the right defense.”  
  
The client was Steve Morrison, a 27-year-old boy who was accused of killing his best friend of the same age. But Will had not taken the case for the young suspect, but for his father. Will had been a close friend of that young man's father for many years, although in recent times they had stayed away, he didn't want to stop helping because he really believed in that young man's innocence, but the situation was complicated. The crime scene was confusing, Steve had been found at the crime scene trying to save his friend, but the murder weapon had his prints and his clothes were covered with the newly wounded’s blood.  
  
"He says he didn't do it, Diane..." Will muttered, rereading one of the many folders Kalinda had provided him with information about those involved.  
  
She nodded slowly again. "When I spoke with him, in the weeks that I took care of the case, he swore to me that the one who had shot had been another friend of the murdered young man, that he was also there at that time..." she explained with a shrug. "But the strangest thing of all is that he doesn't know the name of that alleged suspect and the police found absolutely nothing to indicate the presence of another young man when they reviewed the crime scene."  
  
Will looked up from the folder and looked at Diane with a frown. "Do you start to believe that he did it?"  
  
"I don't know..." she murmured, shrugging again. "You should call the ballistics expert you hired to see if he has any progress on this, because I've been trying to find a good defense for months but I can't get anything."  
  
Will opened his eyes enormously and stood up from the big chair to approach her. "About that..." he murmured, watching Diane's little frown showing her clear confusion. "I called Robinson last week and he told me that he would leave the case because of a family problem," he just stopped to see the look of surprise on Diane's face, but he didn't allow her to speak. "The good thing is that he already spoke with another expert and he will come in an hour to introduce himself..."  
  
Diane looked at his partner for a moment, he had not stopped moving throughout the office while talking, something was wrong. "So... what would the problem be?"  
  
"Well... The problem is who is that new expert..." it was clear that Diane should not think too much to find out who that person was, if his best friend was acting so weird to give such insignificant news it was because these news would not like her. “Before you get angry, you have to understand that I had no choice, Diane. If we  want to win this case we must accept this.”  
  
Diane looked at him a moment before speaking. She didn't want to get carried away by her emotions because she knew perfectly well that hiring Kurt was the only way out to try to win that case, but just thinking that she would work with Kurt again and have to see him practically every day until the end of the trial drove her crazy. "I don't understand how you can allow this..." she murmured. "You know how difficult this whole situation is for me to have to work with him."  
  
"You know I wouldn't do this if it wasn't because it's our last option, Diane... He's the best and you know it," he explained. Will begged his partner to accept the new expert, but inside him, he knew how sad it would be for her to have to see that man during the trial. "You can't pretend you won’t see him again in your whole life... It's been more than two months since the night of my wedding, I think you can see each other again."  
  
"I don't expect not to see him again, Will..." she murmured, trying to be fair with her best friend. "But you must understand that this is not a situation that pleases me at all."  
  
Will nodded and sat in one of the chairs in front of Diane's desk. "I will do my best so you will have to spend as little time as possible with him."  
  
Diane smiled and nodded. "I know... Although it is very likely that he also decides to abandon the case, you know?"  
  
Will frowned for a minute, trying to understand what Diane was saying, but then he nodded slowly. It was very likely that the young client was guilty and Kurt decided to abandon the case because of his moral principles, although Diane and Will were not in a position to lose another ballistics expert in the middle of the trial.  
  
"What will we do if Kurt leaves us?" Diane asked after a moment of silence.  
  
Will shrugged. "Maybe we can talk to the prosecutor in charge of the case to try to reduce the sentence."  
  
Diane nodded as she lay back in her chair. "I don't think this young man has enough mental stability to endure several years in jail..."  
  
  
\--------------------------  
  
  
He had come to believe that he would never set foot in those offices again, but then he received Will's call insisting him to take this case and he had to rethink the idea of returning to those offices. At first, Kurt flatly refused, he did not want to have to return to work with Diane, even in the same offices, but Will insisted so much that it was the last option they had to be able to take that case forward that he did not he had another option to accept. After all, he would have to see Diane again one day and maybe it was the best thing that they began to get used to this situation by working together.  
  
Kurt entered the elevator and pressed the button that marked the 28th floor. He was grateful that the elevator was empty, because he was too nervous to have to deal with a crowd of people. Kurt hoped to meet with Will alone and not have to see Diane even for that day, but he knew she was also involved in the case and would probably have to see her one day.  
  
When the elevator bell marked that it had reached the 28th floor, the elevator doors opened and the first thing Kurt's eyes caught was the letterhead that said "Lockhart - Gardner." He approached the receptionist and indicated who he was and with whom he had an appointment, the young receptionist nodded and indicated the way to Will's office, he nodded and began to walk down the corridors of the firm to Will's office.  
  
He couldn't help thinking about how different some things were in the firm, starting with the receptionist being new at work since the old receptionists had recognized Kurt as soon as he entered. In the halls there were new paintings and even more flowers than there were before, the place seemed more cheerful but without losing the touch of professionalism it always showed. The only thing that had not changed was the place of Diane and Will's offices, and when he was in front of the offices he doubt for a moment to enter Diane's office, she was too concentrated reading a folder because she didn't even notice Kurt's presence outside her office. He smiled unconsciously when he saw her, but immediately forced himself to undo that smile and turn to head towards Will's office.  
  
Two knocks on Will's office door caused him to lift his head from what he was reading and smile when he saw Kurt standing outside. Will invited the older man to come inside and stood up from his chair to greet him.  
  
"I'm glad you accepted this," Will said as he shook the other man's hand.   
  
Kurt shrugged. "I must admit that your insistence made me do this... Although Robinson is also a good colleague and I could not say no," he explained.  
  
Will nodded and invited him to sit in one of the armchairs from his office. "I know this isn’t easy for you..." he said, clearly speaking of the woman who was concentrating on her files in the front office. "It isn't for her either."  
  
Kurt nodded slowly, not allowing himself to get carried away by Will's words and look towards Diane's office. "I think this will help us learn to behave like adults. We have a daughter together and we will see each other much more than we would like…"  
  
"I will try not to have you two to be together for too long," said Will, he really wanted the situation to be bearable for everyone.  
  
The older man smiled and dropped the subject there. He wasn't there to talk about his problems with Diane, so after a few minutes of silence, he began explaining to Will the defense that could be used to try to save young Steve from jail.  
  
  
\-------------------------  
  
  
"He didn't do it," Kurt concluded as he took off his protective glasses and set the gun aside.  
  
Diane and Will looked at each other incredulously for a moment, trying to understand everything Kurt had just explained to both of them. Both had had to go to Kurt's lab after he called them immediately with positive news about the case. Diane did not think about refusing, she knew very well that both should behave like responsible adults, she should be able to look at Kurt without being dominated by her emotions. Will was surprised not to hear a single complaint from his best friend when he went to tell her about Kurt's call, she just nodded with a smile and continued with her business as usual.  
  
"Is that easy?" she asked, not completely out of her amazement.  
  
"Well, Morrison couldn't have fired with that precision with the amount of alcohol he had in his system... He would have to be a professional trigger and have excellent aim to have achieved that kind of injury," Kurt explained again, trying not to look at the Diane's eyes.  
  
Will frowned for a moment, indicating that he was thinking beyond the real events. "And you think the jury will swallow all this?" he asked more to Diane than to Kurt.  
  
Diane shrugged. "I've seen jurors swallow any kind of arguments, Will" she replied, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, we have no other way out. We base our case on this or let an innocent young man be sentenced to 42 years in prison... Although it is very unlikely that the jury will swallow such a weak defense..."  
  
The younger lawyer nodded slowly, clearly reflecting on what to do in this situation. “Could anyone really have ever said that there is no perfect crime? Because this case is on its way to being one of those…” Will said, shaking his head from side to side. "Could you be a witness in this, Kurt?" he asked, now looking at the older man.  
  
Kurt nodded. "Sure, no problem... He is innocent."  
  
"Perfect," he exclaimed, taking his phone to check if he had any pending messages. “Diane, can you prepare it? I have Kalinda with another important case and I don't think I can find time for this one too.”  
  
Diane opened her eyes enormously and looked at her partner hoping that what she had just said was a joke. _What_ _had happened to doing_ _everything possible for them to_ _not be together for too long?_ She thought, trying to control the sudden anger she felt towards her best friend.   
  
"Sure," she murmured, trying neither of the two men to notice her change of mood.  
  
The three of them left Kurt's lab towards his office, but when they were about to say goodbye to the older man, Will's phone started ringing and he had to apologize for a moment, leaving Kurt's office, to answer the call, leaving Kurt and Diane completely alone.  
  
Kurt saw the lawyer leaving and sat down in one of the chairs he had in front of his desk. He frowned when he saw Diane standing by the door, taking both her bag and her coat with her hands on, waiting for her partner to finish the call so she could return to Chicago. "You can sit if you want," he murmured, making a clear reference to the chair next to his.  
  
Diane looked away from her own shoes to look at him with her eyes wide. "There's no need... Will will end soon," she stuttered a little, trying to keep Kurt from noticing how nervous she was.  
  
"Diane, you heard Will... You must prepare me to take the stand to testify, so we will see each other more often than we would like in the next few days" he was trying to let her put aside her stupid pride and manage to keep a working conversation.  
  
She hesitated a moment, but then ended up sighing audibly and moving to sit in the chair next to Kurt. "This is too strange," she said without looking at him.  
  
"It shouldn't be like that," he muttered, without looking at her too. "We are two adults who must work together. We should not make it more difficult than it is."  
  
Diane nodded slowly. "I know, but it's still strange..."  
  
Kurt shrugged. "We worked together countless times, Diane... Why would this time be different from the others?"  
  
"You know this is not the same," she said a little loudly, turning to face him. "The last time we met you were leaving my apartment after spending the night together and swearing that it would never happen again, no matter how much we wanted it to happen again" she paused, believing that he would even look at her, but his gaze was still lost in any part of the office except in her eyes. "Forgive me for not being able to overcome everything that happened as fast as you did, but I cannot sit in front of you and talk to you as if nothing had happened between us."  
  
After she finished speaking, there was too heavy a silence between them. Kurt took a moment to bring his gaze to her eyes, which were still looking exasperating. It was clear that she had a fairly firm point, and he also began to see him the way she saw him, so he decided to make the decision she couldn't make for the sake of her and Will's case.  
  
"Maybe you're right and this doesn't work after all..." he murmured, rising from his chair and heading for the door. "I will tell Will that I will not take the case."  
  
Diane looked stunned for a few seconds. “What are you saying, Kurt? Just two minutes ago you said we could work together…”  
  
"I thought so, because I thought I could handle all this..." he murmured, just a few steps from the door.  
  
"What is all this?" she asked, trying to understand what was bothering him. She couldn't afford to lose Kurt as an expert, Will would kill her if they both lost this case because of her.  
  
Kurt sighed and approached her again. "This, Diane... I can't stand seeing you and not kissing you, not touching you, not being able to tell you how much I love you, not being able to overcome all this that happened to us to be happy together again... I thought I could do it, but I was wrong," he was only inches away from her, and if she wasn't already sitting, they would both be only inches away from their faces. "You think I have overcome many things, but it is not like that..."  
  
Diane looked at him at all times, trying to contain as much as possible the tears that had formed in his eyes. She stared at him for a moment and nodded slowly. "I think that in any other situation, I would be very angry to lose a witness just a few days after the trial... But now I think this is the best we can do for ourselves," she explained, then get up from the chair, without looking to Kurt. “We can't continue suffering like this, Kurt… This takes too many months and I think it is no longer healthy for either of us. We have to make a decision about our relationship. ”She said this and walked to the office exit, turning for the last time to look at Kurt. "Don't worry about talking to Will, I'll explain everything..."  
  
Kurt just nodded and watched as she left her office, closing the door slowly behind her. He just sighed tired and dropped back into the chair she had previously occupied. He kept wondering what to do so they could go ahead without suffering, perhaps the solution was to put distance between them, but distance was long enough to prevent them end up meeting sooner or later. Maybe he should away for a while, _if he_ _could get away from that_ _woman for 25 years, why could_ _not do it now?_ But he already knew that this time would be different, he knew that this time it would hurt even more.  
  
  
  
\------------------------------   
  
  
"Will, please! Can you stop and listen to me for a minute?” she pleaded as she followed the steps of her partner into his own office and closed the door once inside. "You know I would never allow something like that if circumstances had been different..."  
  
Will threw his briefcase on top of his desk and turned to face her. "It's not all about you, Diane!" he shouted, running a hand through his hair. “Do you understand that if Kurt doesn't testify it's over? We will not get another expert in such a short time, there is a week left for the trial, for God's sake!”  
  
She was making a huge effort so that the tears that were forming in her eyes did not fall. "I thought you would understand... It's a horrible situation and you know it..."  
  
"I'm supposed to be working with two adults who can set aside their differences for two minutes and concentrate for the sake of an innocent client," he said badly.  
  
"It's not just differences, Will!" She shouted in the same tone of voice he was using. She thanked that the offices were practically empty at this time of day, since their shouts had to be heard from the entire 28th floor. "It's not about political differences or different personalities. It's about love, Will..."  
  
He shook his head several times. "I think I've tolerated this melodramatic tale between you two, Diane..."  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked, lowering her voice noticeably. She had put aside her desire to cry, now she felt how the anger towards her best friend was growing. "You know the story better than anyone else, you should be the first person to understand me. It's about my life and my feelings..."  
  
"It's not about your life when it's affecting our work and our clients," he had already taken off his jacket and unfastened his tie. "And don't treat me like I don't care, because I've been with you all this past year."  
  
Diane opened her eyes enormously and let a few minutes pass before she could speak again. "No. I won't tolerate this," she murmured and turned to leave Will's office, but just as she was about to leave, she spoke again. “I understand that you are angry, but I will not stand for you to yell at me these horrible things…”  
  
Will was about to protest again but she raised a hand, not moving from her place, and prevented him from speaking.  
  
"It's over, Will... When you think again about everything you've just said, I'll be waiting for your apologies..." she mentioned and opened the door to leave, but before leaving completely, she turned to him again. "Turn off the lights when you leave."


	39. "Two minutes and thirty seconds"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to my beautiful readers!
> 
> I'm back and I promise not to stop until I finish uploading this story. We are only two chapters from the end, I really can't believe I have come this far! And in large part thanks to you!
> 
> I must clarify that in this chapter there is a reference, or it could be said that I took some ideas from there, to chapter 5x15 of TGW (don't be scared).
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter and let me know your opinions!

"Everyone stands to receive the honorable judge Thomas Politi."  
  
The couple of lawyers stood up from their chairs, along with their young client and the rest of the inhabitants of the room, without even looking at each other. Diane and Will had not been getting along too well in recent weeks, after the disagreement they had had at Will's office, they had simply concentrated on their jobs and only talked about work issues or this case they were taking together. Anyone who had seen them before, or who simply knew them a little, would know that something was wrong between them.  
  
Diane had made her position very clear when she left his office the day of the argument, she knew he would regret sooner or later the horrible things he had said to her, although she knew Will's too proud to apologize, she also knew that she was not wrong there. It may be that he was not the wrong one, it was simply a discussion that had two valid points of view depending on who would compare them. Will was worried about a client too young and innocent, who was also the son of a friend of his, who had been unfairly put into jail, apart from the fact that he was not the type of people who tolerate the injustices of his own work. Instead, Diane was defending herself and was surprised by that, only a handful of times she had put her personal and private life above her work, and the majority of those times had been for Martha, but this time it was different. This time it was her heart, this time it was about her feelings, this time it was the lives of two people who had been suffering for too long over the same thing. And if Will couldn't understand her, Diane couldn't do anything for him, even if her heart broke when she couldn't count on her best friend.  
  
Judge Politi entered and indicated that everyone should take their seats once he sat in his place. "I have been informed that the jury has its verdict," he said, approaching his microphone.  
  
The young president of the jury stood up from his chair and nodded toward the judge. "That's right, your honor," he replied, handing the report containing the verdict in writing to one of the guards.  
  
Diane's pulse became faster upon hearing these words. She knew immediately that nothing good could be in those papers, Will also knew it, but she didn't dare look at him to try to read his emotions through his eyes. Instead, she turned her gaze to Steve, but she only saw his head bowed down and his eyes closed. _It takes something more_ _to pray at this time_ , Diane thought vaguely, believing he was praying or something like that. She would never have imagined what Steve was thinking at the time.  
  
"Mr. President of the jury, can you read the verdict please?" Judge Politi asked after reading the papers that were handed to him.  
  
The president of the jury nodded and took his copy of the verdict in his hands. "We declare the defendant, Steve Morrison, guilty of intentional homicide."  
  
 _Guilty_. She closed her eyes tightly, Will did too. Both knew that this result was very likely, although they had not discussed it among themselves, but neither of them was prepared to hear it. When Will opened his eyes, he was not able to look at Steve, he felt that he had failed that young man and his father. Will only looked at Judge Politi, hoping the penalty would be as short as possible considering the defendant's guilt.  
  
"We sentenced Steve Morrison to 42 years in prison without the possibility..." that was all Judge Politi could say before a shot was heard in the courtroom.  
  
Neither Will or Diane were aware of what was happening. She screamed and put her hands to her head, along with most of the people in the room. Will just crouched down, taking Diane's arm so she imitated his movement. Neither of them ever imagined that the shots came from the weapon that Steve had taken from one of the guards by his side, none of them would have imagined that the guard did not have the case of his weapon buckled and that Steve had noticed this since the moment he entered the courtroom for his verdict.  
  
His breathing was agitated and his nervousness could be seen on his face, but he didn't lower his weapon at any time. Several guards were pointing at him from the other side of the room, but none of them was going to dare to shoot him, not while Steve was pointing the gun directly at his two lawyers.  
  
Diane wasn't aware that Steve was pointing at her, she just had her head in her arms, trying to cover her ears with her hands, and her eyes closed tightly. She wasn’t even aware of Will's strong grip on one of her arms, trying to draw her to him.  
  
"Steve..." Will began slowly, trying to reason with the young man.  
  
After hearing Will's voice, Diane opened her eyes and looked up  without moving any part of her body, she saw the judge's look and the guards directed in his direction but not at her. She moved her gaze slowly, without moving her head too much, until she found her young client pointing the gun directly at her, she let out a gasp but didn't let anything out of her voice. She felt she was running out of air.  
  
"Shut up!" Steve shouted as loudly as he could. "If I'm going to rot in jail for a crime I didn't commit, one of you two goes with me."  
  
Will swallowed a lump in his throat, trying to find the right words to reason with his client. He kept trying to move Diane back from him, but she was in such a state of shock that she couldn't respond to Will's attempts to protect her.   
  
"Steve... You are not a murderer... You have not done any of this and you should know that this is not over, we can appeal to the sentence, there is still much to do... But you must lower the weapon right away..."  
  
"Shut up, William!" Steve shouted again, letting out two shots. One of them went directly to the glass of one of the main doors of the courtroom, but the second one went directly to the two lawyers’ legs.  
  
She screamed and dropped along with her best friend, falling over him. She was not aware of her own tears, she wanted to run away, _she_ _wanted to be safe_. A few seconds passed from a horrible silence, which seemed to last for hours, until Diane realized that one of her hands was covering herself with something she could not identify. Only there she was aware of Will's screams of pain, her breathing became more heavier than before and her eyes opened again to look at her best friend. Her gaze passed through his entire body, starting with his face, which only showed pain, until she reached his left leg, which kept expelling blood.  
  
 _Will was hurt._  
  
 _Hurt._  
  
 _Will.  
  
_ Diane's eyes widened and she could only scream louder. "Will!" she exclaimed, completely forgetting that she  still had her client pointing the gun at them.  
  
"Shut up!" Steve shouted for the last time, firing his gun at them again.  
  
She screamed in horror again, but this time she noticed that Will pushed her body, leaving her practically under the desk they had been assigned when the trial began, trying to keep that shot away from impacting her, but impacting him.  
  
When she saw that the shot hit her best friend's right shoulder, she was about to approach him, but a new shot kept her still, making her scream again and bringing her hands to her eyes. She screamed just thinking that shot was going straight at Will, but when she opened her eyes shakingly, she saw Steve's lifeless body fall to the other end of the desk.  
  
Neither of them saw all the officers approaching Steve's body, they just focused on themselves. Diane approached Will as soon as possible, who was completely lying on the floor, with one of hid hands placed on his opposite shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding a little, she tried to check that the wound was not dangerous.  
  
Diane took off her jacket quickly and placed it on the wound on Will's leg, putting pressure on it. "Everything will be fine, Will... I promise you that everything will be fine... They must have already called 911," she said again and again, she did not know if she was saying that so that he would calm down or so that she would do it.  
  
Will smiled slightly, probably because Diane's nervousness was louder than his. "I know, Diane... I know..."  
  
Diane looked up a little to make contact with her best friend's eyes and nodded quickly, still pressing on his leg injury.  
  
 _She could not imagine losing him._  
  
 _She would die without him._  
  
Both kept their eyes connected the few seconds it took the paramedics to enter the place and run quickly towards Will. Diane got up from the floor, leaving doctors room for them to work, but unconsciously she fell into one of the chairs she had been sitting in during the entire trial. Her gaze was so focused on Will's that she didn't notice that Kalinda had entered behind the doctors and had run into her.  
  
"Diane..." the young woman repeated impatiently. Diane shook her head and turned her gaze to Kalinda. "Are you ok? Are you hurt? ”  
  
Diane shook her head several times slowly. "No... Will covered the shots that were going towards me..." she murmured, making a huge effort to speak.  
  
Kalinda frowned. "But you're covered in blood..." she murmured, watching her boss's body in search of wounds that she could not have noticed by herself.   
  
"It's from Will... I fell on him when he was first shot..." her voice was too slow and too scared. Diane closed her eyes and sighed audibly, trying to calm down a bit.  
  
When she opened her eyes again, the doctors were taking Will on one of the emergency stretchers. She got up from the chair and looked all around her, there were people crying and screaming in shock, the judge had already been escorted out of the place and the public of the trial had already left the place mostly, there were only a few people left being checked by doctors. Her gaze reached Steve's lifeless body and the huge pool of blood that had left the shot he had received in the head. She tried to feel sorry for him, but she didn't get it, she just felt anger and too much hatred towards him. That man could have killed her best friend, that man almost snatched one of the most important people in her life, the only man who did everything possible to achieve his freedom.  
  
 _Will could have died._  
  
Diane clenched her fists tightly, raised one of her hands to try to remove her tears and began walking towards the exit. She was so stunned that she didn't even notice that she wasn't carrying her bag with her, she just followed Kalinda, who was walking trying to push away anyone who tried to get close to Diane to ask her something about what had happened in there. She did not notice that a police officer approached them to take Diane's statement, as Kalinda moved her away quickly, insisting that Diane was not in a position to give a statement now.  
  
Two minutes and thirty seconds lasted everything. Only two minutes and thirty seconds. Only in two minutes and thirty seconds an innocent young man almost snatched the lives of two lawyers. Only in two minutes and thirty seconds a young man died for a crime he had not committed. Only two minutes and thirty seconds had lasted the most terrifying moment of her life.  
  
  
\-----------------------  
  
  
"I didn't know you were so good at cooking," Martha shouted, trying to get her father to listen to her from the kitchen, when she felt the scent coming from there.  
  
Kurt smiled at his daughter's praise and shook his head several times. "It's not a big thing... Just because you're not used to eating good food," he said, entering the living room with two bottles of beer in his hands. He reached the big armchair where his daughter was sitting and sat next to her.  
  
Martha let out a loud laugh. “Well, my mother has taken me to the best restaurants in Chicago, so I did tried good food…” she explained taking one of the bottles her father offered.  
  
Kurt frowned and looked at her. "You know I mean homemade food."  
  
“I know, but you know you're right. Imagine that the person who was in charge of cooking at my house was my mother…”  
  
They both laughed at Martha's comment, that Diane was not a good cooker was not a mystery, they both knew it since they both had the distaste to try some of Diane's meals.  
  
After a few seconds, their laughter went off and they were completely silent. "I'm glad you decided to come," Kurt muttered, breaking the silence.  
  
Martha smiled and looked back at her father. "I am also glad to have decided to come... I must admit that I missed the countryside air."  
  
Since they had both discovered that they were father and daughter, almost a year ago, Martha had accepted Kurt's proposals several times to go to his house for days. She increasingly noticed that she loved that place, her love for nature was in her blood and little by little she was discovering it even more.  
  
And this was one of the first times Kurt cooked for his daughter, since he had always been too busy with his work to be able to devote several hours to an elaborate meal. But that day, after Martha's call two days ago saying that she was going to spend the day at home, he had decided to take away all the work from his agenda and stay all day enjoying his daughter.  
  
“It's weird that you've decided  to come here before seeing your mother. You haven't been to Chicago for several weeks…” Kurt mentioned trying to bring up a new topic of conversation.  
  
Martha shrugged and took another sip of her beer. "My mother is in court right now, I will see her at night," she explained as she frowned and rose from the armchair in search of her purse.  
  
Kurt watched her stop quickly and frowned. "Something wrong?"  
  
"No... I don't know..." she murmured, as she pulled out her phone and checked her notifications, she sighed when she found nothing. “My mother had told me that she would let me know when she left the court. It's practically noon, she should have called me by now…”  
  
"Don't worry too much, surely there was some inconvenience in court..." he explained, trying to get his daughter to calm down. “Why don't you come back here and watch some television? In a few minutes the food will be ready.”  
  
Martha nodded slowly and sat back in the armchair, without releasing her phone. She saw her father smile at her and get up walking towards the kitchen again, she saw him walk away and just there she turned the TV on. The first thing she saw was one of the news channels, she was about to switch to the next channel, since she didn't tolerate the bad news that the news channels used to constantly transmit. But what she heard made her stop.  
  
 _“We are live from the Cook_ _County courthouse where there_ _has been a shooting in one of_ _the rooms. Apparently a young_ _man, sentenced to 42 years in_ _prison for intentional homicide,_ _has gone mad upon receiving_ _his sentence, has stolen the_ _weapon of one of the guards_ _and has begun shooting. We_ _have only been informed of two_ _wounded and one dead,_ _although we do not know the_ _identity of any of the people_ _involved. A witness of the place_ _has told us that the two injured_ _could be the two lawyers of the_ _prestigious law firm Lockhart -_ _Gardner…”_  
  
The reporter kept talking, but she didn't hear anything else. She just picked up the phone again and called her mother, while closing her eyes begging her to answer the call. But the call rang a couple of times and went to her mother's voicemail. She felt that she was running out of air and her heart was beginning to pound. _Not again,_ _please. Not again_ , Martha thought quickly.  
  
When she got up to go tell her father that they should go to the hospital immediately, Kurt was standing behind the couch watching television with the same expression Martha had on her face. _Panic._ They both looked at each other just a second before running to get all the stuff to leave. He ran to the kitchen to turn off the oven, removed his apron, leaving it lying on the counter, and ran to take his coat and reach Martha, who had already put on her coat and was leaving the house with her bag hanging on one arm. She kept calling her mother and Will, but everything was useless, the calls went directly to voicemail.  
  
It wasn't too long until they were both in Kurt's truck heading to the hospital that was near the court. It was a journey of 40 minutes at least, but Kurt was so nervous that he knew he could do it in 25 or 30 minutes, although it was going to be a little impossible to beat the traffic at that time of day. He breathed and exhaled, he needed to calm down, but just thinking that Diane could be one of the wounds caused him to take his breath away. _He_ _could not lose her.  
  
_ Kurt looked away from the road for a second to look at his daughter and take one of her hands, while the other continued on the wheel. Martha had begun to cry and her hands were trembling with her nervousness. "Everything will be fine, okay?" He murmured, without letting go of his daughter's hand.  
  
Martha nodded slowly as she tried to clear the tears from her eyes with her free hand. Although neither of them knew if what was said in the news was true, the fear they both felt at the time was the same as if they had confirmed that Diane and Will had been injured in the shooting.


	40. "Real answer"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uff, I can't believe we're just one chapter from the end! I am so happy to have come here with you!
> 
> Well, this chapter has a reference at the end of chapter 2x11 of TGF.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it, I will be reading your comments and I promise to upload the last chapter in a few days! Thanks for reading!

The trip to the hospital was incredibly long, and although Kurt had managed to do it in 30 minutes, their minds could not abandon a second the little information they had about the shooting. Martha had tried to hide her own tears by concentrating on the view outside the window, but Kurt immediately noticed his daughter's status, since he was exactly the same as her.  
  
If they had any doubts that this was the right hospital, the large group of reporters at the door quickly took them away. Kurt parked the truck just a few meters from the entrance, both got off it and practically ran to the hospital entrance without saying a word. Anyone who had seen them could have seen the desperation they both felt, as they entered the hospital really fast and went directly to the reception. Kurt asked the young receptionist for the couple of lawyers, but she refused to tell them anything if they were not direct relatives. Martha mentioned that she was Diane's daughter, but the receptionist informed them that there was no one entered with that name at that time.  
  
Martha nodded slowly toward the receptionist and turned to look at her father with her eyes filled with fear. "And now what do we do?" she asked in a trembling voice, practically muttering.  
  
Kurt shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. "If Diane isn't admitted here, maybe she  wasn't hurt... But I don't know where she could be then..."  
  
Just when they were about to leave the hospital to look for Diane in her apartment or her office, they saw Kalinda leaving one of the corridors, with two coffees in her hands, and getting into the hospital waiting room. Martha didn't think too much, she started walking behind the young detective thinking that if she was there it was because Will or Diane, or maybe both, were in that hospital.  
  
They both entered the waiting room looking for Kalinda with their eyes, there were several people sitting there and this made their search a bit difficult. It was Martha who first saw Kalinda, who was sitting in one of the chairs at the back, but she immediately looked at the woman sitting next to her, accepting the coffee she was giving her. It was Diane. Martha started walking, practically running, towards both women but, once she was close, she took her breath away when she saw her mother in her gray dress covered in blood.  
  
It took Diane only two seconds to see that her daughter was approaching her, and this caused her to stand up from her place and wait for her with open arms. Both hugged each other tightly while tears kept falling, Diane felt so good in her daughter's arms that she didn't want to let her go anymore, she found the safety she needed from the shooting in court.  
  
"What happened? Please tell me that you are well and that blood is not yours,” Martha murmured on her mother's shoulder.  
  
Diane shook her head and separated a little from her daughter to look her in the eye. "It's from Will... He got hurt in the right shoulder and the left leg trying to protect me..." her voice was tired, as if she was making an enormous effort to speak. Before Martha could keep asking, she spoke again. "They are operating him, but he is out of danger."  
  
Martha nodded slowly and released her mother for a moment to wipe away the tears from her eyes. She remembered that her father was behind them, waiting for his turn to approach Diane, so she stepped aside to let her father approach her mother.  
  
Kurt slowly approached Diane, looking at every part of her dress covered with blood that was already dried. He slowly took off his coat and offered it to her without saying a single word, anyone who saw her might think she was cold, although he imagined that her coat had remained at the scene of the shooting. She looked at the coat, smiled at him and accepted it, slowly placing it on her.  
  
"How are you?" he asked, not daring to get closer to her.  
  
Diane gave him a small smile and shrugged. "I guess I've been worse..." she murmured, knowing perfectly well that Kurt would understand what she meant.  
  
He couldn’t resist any longer and took a step forward, facing her closer, and took her slender body in his arms. He hugged her tightly, trying to express all the fear he felt when he thought something had happened to her. Diane was a little surprised at first, but she dropped into his arms instantly. They both had already forgotten the last time they had hugged like that, but until then they had not noticed how much they needed each other. If Diane had a little fear after everything that had happened that morning, Kurt had just taken it off completely. Neither of them said anything, it was not a time for words, but for true love.  
  
Martha's smile grew enormously, finally she was seeing her parents together. She felt that her dream of her whole life was being fulfilled and she couldn't be happier. Probably, if her beloved uncle Will wasn't being operated, that would be the best day in her life.  
  
  
\-----------------------  
  
  
The waiting room was in a heavy silence. Will's operation took a couple of hours that had become eternal for those who were waiting for the medical report. Incredibly, the most calmed person was Alicia, who had arrived shortly after Kurt and Martha, after Kalinda's call to inform her about what had happened to her husband. Alicia was calm, although inside her she needed the operation to be over and her husband to be safe and sound. Kalinda had left the waiting room for a moment to talk to her police friends, trying to retain Diane's testimony only until Will's operation was over.  
  
Martha was texting her boyfriend, telling him about everything that had happened so that he would not find out through the media, but she occasionally looked sideways at her parents' joined hands and smiled. Diane and Kurt were sitting next to Martha with their hands intertwined but without saying a single word, they both knew that they had a talk, but at that moment it seemed not to matter at all, they just wanted to be united because of the fear of the other one leaving somewhere.  
  
Diane was trying to control the firm from her seat in the waiting room, but it was becoming impossible. She briefly informed them about what had happened to David and Julius, although they kept calling her and sending her messages with many of doubts. Kurt had offered to take Diane to her apartment for her to bathe and change her clothes, but she refused to move from the place until someone informed her about her best friend's health, then she could go quietly to her apartment and rest.  
  
When they least expected it, a doctor entered the waiting room asking for William Gardner's relatives, everyone there stopped, although the doctor preferred to talk only with his wife. Alicia walked towards him and listened carefully to everything the doctor told her about the operation, she nodded slowly and everyone could read a "thank you" on her lips before she turned and walked back to Kurt, Diane and Martha.  
  
Alicia was about to speak when she saw Kalinda enter the waiting room again. Once the young detective joined them, she spoke. "The operation went perfectly..." she said with a smile on her lips, smiling even more when she saw the happy expression of everyone present. "The doctor told me that Will is in room 245 and that we can go see him whenever we want since the anesthesia will disappear in about twenty minutes and he will be awake," she explained, looking especially at Diane. "I think you should go see him first, so you  can go to rest later." Before Diane could answer, Kalinda spoke. "And I can send the police to your apartment in a few hours to take your statement..."  
  
Diane looked closely at both women and nodded. “Are you sure? I can wait a little longer…” she murmured, smiling when she saw her best friend's wife nod slowly. "Okay... It will only take a moment, I promise to be quick so you can come in to see him."  
  
Alicia nodded and smiled at Diane. She just looked at Martha for a moment, and then at Kurt, who kissed her hand and smiled at him. "We'll be here waiting for you to take you home, Diane..." he murmured, releasing her hand to let her go. She nodded slowly and began to walk, following the steps the doctor had walked to leave.  
  
It took her only a few minutes to find Will's room, but when she did, she went straight in without bothering to hit. To her own surprise, two tired eyes were watching as she entered the room. Diane was a little startled when she saw Will watching her with a weak smile on his lips, she approached him and placed a sweet kiss on his forehead, then sat down in one of the chairs next to the stretcher.  
  
"I was so afraid that you almost killed me..." she murmured, grabbing the hand of the injured arm. "Why did you do it?"  
  
Will looked at her with a frown. "Now it's my fault that a madman starts shooting in court?" he asked sarcastically, smiling again.  
  
Diane shook her head and looked at him, letting the tears fall again. "Will, you know very well that the second shot was going straight at me and you pushed me under the desk. You saved my life..."  
  
He squeezed her hand and smiled again. "I would do it again, for you I would do that and much more..." he said weakly, letting go of her hand just to try to run the tears from her face. "Don't cry, Di... Everything is fine, it was just a couple of scratches, in a week or two I will be back in the office making your life unbearable."  
  
Diane laughed slightly and covered her eyes with her free hand, trying to stop crying. There was a small moment of silence until she spoke again. "Please, let's not be far away from each other like that again..." she murmured, looking at Will's eyes pleadingly. "We've been idiots."  
  
Will shook his head slowly. “The only idiot here was me… I should have heard you, Diane. You couldn't do everything and I put pressure on you and forced you to do something you didn't want to… I'm so sorry…”  
  
"Did I just hear the great Will Gardner apologizing?" she asked in amazement, taking the tense weather out of the conversation. "You have nothing to apologize for. You are my best friend and I love you, you just saved my life..."  
  
"Well, there is something for which I must apologize a million times..." he mentioned, smiling at the sight of her frown, clearly showing that she did not understand what he was talking about. “Look how I left your dress! It must have cost you thousands of dollars.”  
  
Diane looked at her own dress and let out one of her typical laughs while shaking her head several times. The great Will Gardner could have received two shots only a few hours ago, but he would never cease to be the most adorable and fun person she had ever met.  
  
  
\-------------------------  
  
  
The road to Diane's apartment was in complete silence. Diane had made Alicia promise that she would call her if something happened to Will, anyway she said she would go to the hospital again the next day. Martha was in the backseat, mentally reflecting on everything that had happened in the few hours she had that day, she had landed in Chicago that day in the early morning and so many things had happened that it seemed she had been in Chicago for a week, while talking with her mother about some things that had nothing to do with everything that had happened. Diane, who was sitting in the passenger seat, talked to her daughter while trying to get distracted by checking her email and contacting David and Julius, who had been  momentarily in charge of the company, to check that the place was not catching fire or something like that.  
  
The only one who seemed not to have his head on Earth was Kurt, who was just limiting himself to driving, even though his head was beyond that. Why did he feel that every second that passed he was moving further away from Diane? Every time they were closer to her apartment, he felt he would leave her there without looking back. After all, she was fine, despite how terrible she had to live, he had already complied with the courtesy of helping her by being her daughter's father. But he didn't want to leave, he wanted to stay with her, forever if she let him, he wanted to hug her tight and never let her go. Was he forgiving her for everything? He was not only sure of that, but he also felt that he had to apologize to that woman a million times for being such an idiot and having lost almost a whole year by her side. They had already lost 25 years, why would he keep adding time? This must end now, and he believed he was destined to end it.  
  
When Kurt parked his truck in front of Diane's apartment and turned off the engine, Diane looked at him with a frown, waiting for him to explain what he was doing.  
  
Martha opened her eyes enormously and smiled a little. "I... I'll go open the apartment door..." she murmured, getting out of the truck quickly towards the apartment.  
  
Diane watched her daughter walk away and turned to Kurt, looking at him with a frown. “Why do you turn off the engine? Do you want to come inside?” she asked softly, still with her eyebrow raised.  
  
"I don't know..." Kurt muttered, shrugging. "I think if I want to enter..."  
  
"Please, Kurt... If you want to argue or are thinking about something that could generate an argument, I only ask you not today. I am too tired..." she was interrupted by his hand, taking hers between them.  
  
“I don't want any of that. I just want to be with you for a little longer… Will you let me?” he asked timidly, while holding his gaze on hers.  
  
Diane blinked several times, trying to process Kurt's words. "Of course," she murmured as she opened the door of the truck. "Come with me…"  
  
The interior of Diane's apartment had not changed at all in recent months, there was only a new vase with a beautiful  
natural flowers on it, on the small table next to the entrance. He entered behind her and closed the door behind him, stood a moment standing at the front door watching Diane take off her coat and high heels, she grimaced with satisfaction when her Bare feet made contact with the apartment floor. But just as she was about to start up the stairs that led to her room, she turned and looked at him with a frown.  
  
"Are you going to stand there all  afternoon?" Diane asked in a sarcastic tone as she looked at him with a smile on her lips.  
  
Kurt laughed and shook his head several times. "I... I guess I don't want to invade you..."  
  
"You don't... I invited you to stay, remember?" she saw that he nodded slowly and continued. “You already know the house, if you want to prepare something to eat or drink, feel free to do so. I'll be here in a few minutes, anyway, Martha must be walking around here.”  
  
Kurt nodded slowly as he watched his daughter's mother giving him a smile and continue up the stairs to her room. When she disappeared completely from his sight, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair trying to calm his own nerves.  
  
The fear and panic he felt when he heard the news about what had happened that morning in court was all he needed to realize how badly he was handling the whole situation with Diane. It was the horrible feeling of losing that woman forever that made him open his eyes. _He loved her_ , he loved her more than he had forced himself to believe and could not allow this situation to continue separating them.  
  
He entered the living room and dropped into the large armchair that was in the center, thinking about everything his mind had to solve before he could talk to Diane without ruining it again and backing away the only locker he had achieved to move on with her.  
  
Diane entered her room slowly and closed the door resting her head on her with her eyes closed, her body was beginning to make her feel all the stress she had felt in the last hours and she was really beginning to feel her energy was gradually decreasing. Her mind couldn't stop playing the sound of the shots over and over again, her client's eyes full of rage, her best friend bleeding out for trying to save her life... Diane shook her head quickly, she needed her mind to stop thinking just a moment, although she knew perfectly well that even if she tried to sleep a little, she would not succeed, her mind would not allow her a good rest in a long time...  
  
When she turned to the rest of her room, she was startled to see her daughter sitting on her bed watching her with a smile.  
  
"You really want to kill me..." Diane mentioned as she ignored her daughter and began to take the necessary things for her deserved bath.  
  
Martha laughed even more. "Are we really going to act as if this situation was normal and Dad wasn't currently in the living room of your apartment?" she asked sincerely, making her mother look at her with wide eyes.  
  
"I don't understand why it's so strange..." she replied with a shrug." he is your father and he has every right to be here since this is your house and you are his daughter" Diane explained to her daughter although she knew very well that she did not believe a single word she said.  
  
“Oh, come on, mother! That man is not here for me and you know it perfectly, you just want to deny everything as you always do.”  
  
Diane opened her eyes further, then frowned and smiled softly at her daughter. Without saying a word, she approached Martha, took her hand and led her out of the room. “I think you should go to attend our visit while I took this horrible day off of me…”  
  
Martha did not stop laughing while being expelled by her mother from the room, so much that she failed to form a coherent prayer to defend herself. "Are you really just going to say that?" she asked incredulously, once out of the room.  
  
Diane just nodded slowly and closed the bedroom door, leaving her daughter laughing outside. Once alone, she laughed too and shook her head several times. Of course she knew that Kurt was there for her, but she couldn't understand what he pretended with all this. How could it be that this man went from hating her to worrying about her only in a few hours? _He never hated_ _you, Diane_ , said a voice in her mind. And although that could be possible, she did not imagine that Kurt could forgive her one day, although he had cared for her and it was clear that he did not want anything bad to happen to her. Kurt had already fulfilled his duty of "good person" and "good  father", so why had he wanted to park his truck and stay with her?  
  
She found no answer to any of the questions that her mind was asking, not even those that were related to the shooting in court. Diane decided to take a bath and relax a little before her mind exploded, maybe after the relaxing bath she could see things differently and managed to find the answers she needed...  
  
  
\-------------------------  
  
  
The hot liquid went down her throat and she couldn't help a satisfied smile from taking over her lips. Chamomile tea had always had that relaxing effect on her, and what she needed most at this time was to relax. She set the cup of tea on the coffee table in front of them and turned to face the man sitting next to her with a cup of coffee in her hands. She didn't even think about making tea to Kurt, he wasn't the kind of people who liked tea, those "weird flowers," as he had called them.  
  
"So..." she murmured, causing him to look at her. "Are we ready to talk about our situation?"  
  
Kurt laughed slightly and shrugged. "I hope so."  
  
A new silence formed between them, with the difference that this time they were looking into each other's eyes. It was not an awkward silence, it was as if they were both looking for the  right words to continue without ruining everything.  
  
Diane smiled and shook her head several times, bending down to take her cup again. “I think it's me that I'll start, you're not the one with the words here…” she smiled more when he shook his head also smiling. “Kurt, we've only seen each other a handful of times in all these months and every time we met we ended up in a huge discussion that only hurt us both. I don't want to go on like this, so if you want us both to end this once and for all and just remain Martha's parents, I'll understand…”  
  
Kurt opened his eyes enormously and kept silent for a moment. "Do you want that?" he asked a little incredulously.  
  
"I don't know..." she murmured with a shrug. "I just need us to stop trying to overcome this by insulting and injuring ourselves because it doesn't work..." she explained briefly, trying to keep her face neutral and not start crying. "It's about what you want too, Kurt..."  
  
"Tell me you're willing to move on with me?" he asked again, still looking at her.  
  
Diane smiled and shrugged again. "I guess I was always willing to do that," she saw the expression of confusion in Kurt and continued speaking. "Kurt, I love you... I never stopped doing it... But I need to know what you want."  
  
Kurt looked down at his hands and smiled. "I'm not very talkative..."  
  
She smiled again and shook her head several times. "I know, but we both need you to be right now..." she said and took a moment to find the right words to continue. “I need you to tell me… what do you want. If we end this once and for all, I will understand. And if not, I need you to tell me...”  
  
Kurt nodded several times and looked at her again. _She had to_ _have the most beautiful eyes in_ _the world_ , he thought for a moment. But he also discovered that he was not prepared to give her a concrete answer. "I think the fact that you are here means something, doesn't it?"  
  
"I'm too old for the riddles, Kurt... If we're going to end this simply... let's do it," she concluded in a soft voice, turning her gaze away from his to take another drink of her tea. When she put the cup back on the coffee table, she continued. “I have drifted most of this year, hoping that things would simply be resolved in some way, for better or worse. And I will not continue like this, everything that happened today made it clear to me that I cannot go on like this.”  
  
He looked at her a moment before nodding slowly. "Okay," he said and got up from the chair. "I'll call you these days."  
  
"Why?" she murmured allowing him to see the astonishment on her face.  
  
"Because you want a real answer," he replied with a smile on his lips and started walking towards the exit of Diane's apartment.  
  
She stared at a fixed point trying to process everything that had happened at the time, while she took the last sip of her tea. When she heard the noise of the front door open and then close, she sighed. She really hoped that this time things could be resolved correctly between them.


	41. "Loving to the end"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God, we get to the last chapter! I can not believe it! I'm not going to entertain you too much now, just go read!

"I'm glad you called me to help you with this," Martha said, breaking the silence in the living room. She entered with two cups of coffee in her hands, placed them on the coffee table in front of the large armchair and then sat next to her father. Martha turned to him, looking him in the eye with a smile on her face.  
  
Kurt felt his daughter's gaze and turned to face her. "Why do you look at me like that?"  
  
"I'm waiting for you to start talking," she replied, shrugging, but still smiling. "I think it's you who has asked me to come, so I guess you should start talking..."  
  
Kurt sighed and leaned forward to get his cup of coffee. "I don't know where to start," he murmured, taking a sip of the coffee his daughter had prepared.  
  
Martha smiled, she had never seen her father so nervous. “What if you start from the beginning? What led you to want to reverse this?”  
  
 _The beginning... And what was_ _the beginning?_ He thought vaguely. Kurt had asked his daughter to go to his house after spending two days completely locked trying to solve what he had in his mind. He wanted to give Diane a real answer, he didn't just want to tell her that he loved her and that he wanted to try again to make the relationship between them work, this time without any lie in between. But shouldn't they talk about several things before? There were too many pending issues between them to make a relationship work. Then, he had decided to speak, although he was not the most talkative person on the planet. Diane deserved to hear from him many things, just as he needed to hear from her several things as well. But the problem here was, where would they start?  
  
"You know that," he murmured, leaving the cup on the coffee table again, but not looking back at his daughter. "What happened to her and Will made me see something that hadn't even crossed my mind..."  
  
"And that would be..." Martha murmured, pushing her father to really open up with her.  
  
Kurt looked at her quickly, _this_ _girl will make me talk more than_ _all I've talked in my whole life_ , he thought. "Fear of losing her."  
  
Martha's smile grew even more and she nodded slowly, hoping her father would continue talking without her having to push him to do so.  
  
“When I saw your mother in the waiting room, covered in blood, I thought that I could really be losing her forever… And I know that I have already lost your mother on many occasions, when we separated 25 years ago or the moment when I heard about her accident, but I never imagined what would happen to me if I knew that your mother is no longer among us…”  
  
Kurt's voice faded as he tried to remove the image of Diane in danger. His eyes had not yet looked back at his daughter, he just kept his gaze forward without looking at any particular point.  
  
"You know..." Martha murmured, breaking the small silence that had formed. "I think it's the first time I hear you say more than a simple prayer."  
  
This made Kurt laugh a little and shake his head slowly. "I am not too good to express what I feel."  
  
"I know," she replied nodding. “But in this moment of your life you must speak. If you don't, dad... You'll lose her..." her voice was barely a whisper in the last word. "Even if she is still alive, she will move on with her life and you will not be in it."  
  
"Do you think she could forget me?" he asked shyly.  
  
Martha opened her clear eyes enormously and quickly shook her head. "Oh no. My mother hasn't managed to forget you in 25 years, do you really think she could do it now?” seeing that Kurt shrugged, she decided to continue. "I saw her eyes full of love after seeing you that day in court, I saw how her heart broke when she was forced to confess the secret and the biggest mistake of her life... She loves you, dad... But she will not be suffering all her life for you, she will not forget you, but she will be able to move on... In the same way that you have done all these years.”  
  
Kurt nodded slowly. His daughter's words opened a new window of thoughts for him. Maybe Diane would be better off without him, without the man who heatedly cheated on her with her best friend for being carried away by a ridiculous rumor. Of course she would be better off without him. But would he be better off without her? That woman had hidden his fatherhood from him for 25 years but still he couldn't stop looking at her and dying of love, he was dying to kiss her every time he saw her, to touch her, to make love with her as they had done so many times in so many years...  
  
"And you?" Martha asked, pulling him out of his cloud of thoughts again.  
  
Kurt looked at Martha for a moment. "Me what?" he asked, a little disoriented.  
  
"I know what my mother feels, because she tells me absolutely everything," she explained, leaving a space before speaking again. "But I have no idea what you feel..." she murmured, taking her father's hands. "Although sometimes you are very easy to read."  
  
He forced himself to smile a little at what his daughter had said. Then, Kurt sighed and shrugged. "I only know one thing, Martha..." he murmured, and directed his gaze to the intertwined hands. "I love her too much."  
  
Martha smiled again and began stroking her father's hands. "Then you will know what to do and what to say... Let yourself be carried away by what you feel for her and you will never be able to tell her something that will harm her."  
  
Kurt nodded and looked back at his daughter, he released one of her hands so he could gently stroke her cheek. "If I had known that you were so good at giving advice, I would have come much earlier to you..."  
  
Martha let go of her father's other hand just to wrap him in a big hug, still smiling. "I know, I should have been a counselor instead of a designer," she joked, making a slight laugh from her father. After such a moment, Martha broke the hug but held her father by her shoulders. "You'll be fine... I promise..."  
  
  
\-----------------------  
  
  
Her gaze kept walking through every corner of the room, ignoring her best friend, who was looking at her with a funny expression. She could have attended hospitals many more times in that year than in her entire life, but the terror she had in those places was still there. Although that would never make her stop visiting Will. Alicia had asked her if she could stay with him for a few hours while she tried to deal with some very urgent business matters and Diane had not been able to refuse to stay with him. But the desire to run from there and bathe in ethyl alcohol to eliminate all the bacteria was still in it.  
  
"If you're going to feel bad you can go to your apartment, Di," he said with a smile on his face, startling his best friend a little. “I can take care of myself and I know that you don't like this kind of place too much…”  
  
Diane looked at him for a moment and then slowly denied. "I will not go anywhere, I will not leave you alone," she said too firmly.  
  
"Oh, come on, Diane," he exclaimed, allowing himself to laugh a little. "I know you too much to easily discover that you are not at all comfortable being in a hospital..." he explained, trying to study his best friend with his eyes to identify what was happening with her.  
  
She rolled her eyes and looked away from her best friend. “I'm fine, and I want to be here with you and not alone in my apartment. What's so weird about that?”  
  
Will continued to look at her with a frown. "There is more than your desire to stay with your friend... Something happens with you... And I will find out what it is..."  
  
She let out one of her typical laughs at Will's words. Of course something was wrong with her, but Diane didn't think it was the right time to take her own problems to him. "I think you're delirious, William... I'm only here because you're my best friend and I care about you."  
  
"Diane, I've only been shot in the leg and another in the shoulder, I'm not on the verge of death," he said, rolling his eyes but still smiling. "Listen, I know something happens with you and I will find out sooner or later..."  
  
Diane rolled her eyes and leaned against the back of the chair. "You are truly impossible," she exclaimed.  
  
"You should have mercy on me... I've saved your life and you're not even able to indulge me in this," he said, putting on the biggest victim face he could.  
  
She laughed again and shook her head again. "I don't want to worry about my problems here, you should rest..."  
  
"My God! I have been sleeping on this stretcher for two whole days, I think I've had enough rest,” said Will, moving a little to face his best friend. "Now, what happens to you?"  
  
"Kurt happens to me," she murmured, resigning herself that sooner or later she would have to tell Will. "Two days ago he left my apartment with the promise that he would call me when he had a real answer."  
  
Will frowned. "And what would be the question in question?"  
  
Diane sighed audibly and began to play nervously with her hands. “Whether or not we should try to be together again. Because we can't go on this way for much longer.”  
  
Will's eyes widened even more. "Well, I think it's good that you realized that the situation could have an expiration date..." he explained, smiling when he saw that Diane had let out a slight laugh. "Have you been talking about it?"  
  
She nodded slowly. "I think it's the first time we talked like two adults without reproaching ourselves... Surely he felt it wasn't the right time to argue..."  
  
Will nodded slowly and let a few seconds of silence pass. "But..." he murmured, causing her to look at him for a moment. "What do you want?"  
  
"I don't know..." she murmured, letting out a tear. "I just know that I love him, I love him so much, Will... But we can't continue to suffer from this, we both behave like idiots and now I don't know how we'll fix it..."  
  
“I think you two should talk about absolutely everything that happened between you. The disappointment on Kurt’s side, that he has taken you away from his life, your lie about Martha, the child you lost less than a year ago... Only then you will be able to move on, whether you decide to stay together or not...” he explained, trying to make his words useful to his friend.  
  
Diane nodded slowly. “He told me he would call me when he had a real answer to give me. It's been two days since that and I had no sign of him.” She placed her right elbow on the armrest of the chair and dropped her head on her hand.  
  
"And that's why you don't want to be alone in your apartment..." Will muttered, although he already knew the answer.  
  
"I'm trying not to go crazy," she said, showing a weak smile. "I do not want to go through the pain that was completely out of his life" clearly she was talking about their breakup 25 years ago.  
  
Will frowned. "When we first talked about it, you told me that he had kicked you out of his life... But that was not what happened."  
  
She shook her head and looked down, then spoke without looking into Will's eyes. "I felt that way... I felt that if he was able to fool me that way with my best friend, it was because he no longer wanted me in his life... Let's say I thought I was doing him a favor."  
  
"And it never occurred to you to think that maybe that had been a mistake and he was really sorry?"  
  
She shook her head again. "Not until he reappeared in my life just a few months ago ... I had convinced myself that he was still with Sarah."  
  
"Diane..." Will muttered, trying to get her to look him in the eye. Once she raised her head and looked at him with her tired eyes, he continued. "Have you ever talked seriously about that moment?"  
  
Her eyes widened and she had to think a moment before shaking her head again. "I guess not..." she murmured very low.  
  
How was it possible that they had never talked about what had broken their relationship when they were young? This was something that Diane had clearly never thought deeply about, and she believed that Kurt didn't either, since if he had done so he would have brought up the subject sometime.  
  
Just when Will was about to speak again, Diane's cell phone ringing tone began to ring in her purse. It took her a moment to recognize what was happening, but when she did, she searched her purse for her phone and answered the call, without looking at who it was, before it was sent to voicemail.  
  
"Hello?" she asked in a monotonous voice, looking back at Will, who was staring at her with a frown.  
  
"Hi, Diane. It’s Kurt.”  
  
She opened her eyes enormously, keeping her eyes on her best friend, who seemed to have deepened her worried expression. _It's him_ , Diane tried to say without a voice, although Will also opened his eyes and nodded, making his friend understand that he had understood.  
  
"H-hello, Kurt," she stuttered a little. "What can I do for you?" There was a small silence on the other side of the line until Kurt sighed audibly. "I have an answer to give you."  
  
Diane felt her heart skip a beat and she was starting to breathe with a little difficulty. "O-okay..." she stammered again and there was a little silence again in the call. "And are you going to say it on the phone?"  
  
"I'd rather see you in person... Can you now?"

She looked back at Will. "If I can meet now?" She repeated, only to let her best friend know what they were talking about. Will nodded quickly, trying to insist Diane to go meet him. "Sure... It could be in my office... I'm in the hospital right now and I could go there in a few minutes."  
  
"It's okay. I will be in your office in 20 minutes,” Kurt replied and hung up the call without leaving Diane even saying goodbye.  
  
She lowered the phone in her ear and continued to look at it for a few seconds before looking back at her best friend's. Diane took several deep breaths, trying to calm her heartbeat and irregular breathing before starting to hyperventilate or give her a heart attack.  
  
The time had come.  
  
And she knew perfectly well that this could be the true beginning of their new relationship or the last time she saw Kurt as more than Martha's father.  
  
  
\---------------------  
  
  
Diane had arrived at her office with enough time to be able to close all the curtains, preventing her employees from seeing the inside of her office, and to be able to free her assistant for the rest of the day, not before asking her to bring her two coffees and clear her schedule for the rest of the day.  
  
Once alone, she sat on the chair in front of her desk and brought her coffee cup to her lips, while watching the time. It had been less than 5 minutes when arrived and she was too nervous. She tried uselessly to read one of the folders she had on her desk, but just by seeing the cover she already knew it would be completely useless, she couldn't concentrate on anything.  
  
2 minutes later, that she could have said it had been hours, the door of her office slowly opened.  
  
"Diane, Mr. McVeigh is here."  
  
She looked up from her cup to Marissa's voice and nodded slowly. “Let him in and leave, Marissa. You have the day off.”  
  
Marissa nodded and gave Diane a grateful smile. “Thank you, Diane. Have a nice day,” she said, left the office letting Kurt in and closed the door once the older man was inside.  
  
They both stared at each other only a few seconds, before Diane blinked several times, trying to fall back into reality and start talking. "Sit down, I think this will be long."  
  
Kurt just nodded and moved to sit on one of the chairs in front of Diane's desk, but he kept looking at her for a second.  
  
"That coffee is for you," she murmured, pointing to the cup in front of him. Kurt smiled weakly and nodded, taking the cup in his hands and bringing it to his lips. "So... You have an answer for me..."  
  
He nodded again and cleared his throat before speaking. "I think that before determining what is going to happen with our relationship there is something I must tell you..." he waited for her to respond, but seeing that she was just looking at him with a frown, he continued. “The afternoon that Sarah appeared in my house with all those beer bottles, she didn't let me know how we would end up later. She came by telling me that John was sleeping with you and I didn't believe her at first, I didn't imagine you could do something like that,” he paused and saw how Diane was paying attention. "But then, Sarah began to cry, saying that now she had nothing left but the friendship she had created with me, that she had lost her best friend and her boyfriend in a matter of seconds... And I don't know, I believed her for the moment, I don't know what happened to me but I felt that my heart was breaking... Then I thought the solution would be to get drunk... I would never have imagined that everything would end up like that...”  
  
"Like what? With me watching you fucking my best friend?” she asked, trying not to show her anger in her voice.  
  
Kurt opened his eyes enormously and shook his head quickly. "I never thought of cheating on you, Diane... It just happened..." he paused another second before continuing, but now he wasn't looking her in the eye, he had lowered his gaze so she wouldn't see the tears that were about to fall. "After that day, there wasn't a single moment when I didn't think about everything that had happened and I wasn't deeply regretful... I'm so sorry I broke your heart, Diane... I'm so sorry I ended up with everything we had... Just, what I'm very sorry…”  
  
In the last sentence, Kurt's voice had been broken by the huge amount of tears that fell down his cheeks. That man was opening his heart completely in front of the woman he loved, and she had simply stared at him from the other side of the desk. She wanted to get close to him and hug him so much that he forgot her tears, she wanted to tell him that nothing mattered, that she just wanted to be with him. But she just stayed there, watching him until he found the words to speak.  
  
"I... I am the one who should apologize to you, Kurt," she murmured, rising from her place to walk to the other side of the desk and sit in the free chair next to him. She turned completely to face him and took his hands between hers. “I didn’t let you be a father for 25 years, and although I only did it because I wanted to protect Martha from all the resentment I felt towards you and I didn't want her to have to deal with an absent father in case you didn't want to recognize her… I didn't think about you… I mean, I did think about you but I always believed that your life was made with Sarah and that you would never want to have a child with me…” she paused to wipe away the tears that had also begun to fall by her cheeks. "I was so wrong, Kurt... And I swear I would give anything to return to that day and be able to change everything..."  
  
Kurt looked at Diane's red and tired eyes and smiled faintly, while squeezing the grip of his hands. "We cannot go back time... What we both have done was horrible, and I think the best way to reverse it is to try to overcome it together."  
  
Diane smiled a little under her tears. "This is what you want? Try again together?” she asked, hopeful that his response was positive.  
  
Kurt nodded slowly and raised his hand to stroke one of Diane's cheeks, smiling to himself when she leaned on his touch. "Martha told me that I should get carried away by what I feel towards you... And what I feel is that I love you, I love you more than anything in the world and I want to be with you for the rest of my life."  
  
"She is very good at giving advice," she murmured as she smiled even more under her tears, although her smile froze when she remembered something important that caused her to look down and cry even harder.  
  
"Diane..." he murmured, kneeling in front of her so he could pull her body toward him and hug her tightly. "It’s fine, honey... Let's get over it together..."  
  
And as if he could read her mind, Kurt said exactly the words Diane wanted to hear. She hugged him back and clung to him as if her life depended of it. "We could have been parents again, Kurt," she said between sobs, without taking her head off his shoulder.  
  
Kurt nodded slowly as he felt that his own tears were also falling, he slowly stroked Diane's back trying to stop her sobs. "A lot of things could have happened, honey... But they didn't happen, and although that hurts a lot, now we will be together and we will be able to overcome it together..."  
  
She raised her head after a moment and turned away from him enough to be able to look him in the eye. "Do you promise?" she asked shyly.  
  
"Of course I promise, honey," he said, as he placed a busty hair behind her ear. "I will not leave you alone with this... It was not fair that I had left you alone at that time..."  
  
Diane took a deep breath and shrugged. "You should get away from me, Kurt," she murmured, trying to take that blame from him. "But please, let's not let anything take us apart. I need you, my love... I needed you so much these months..."  
  
"I needed you so much too, Di..." he muttered softly. "But now after all that has happened we will be together as long as we want," he promised as he stroked one of her cheeks again. “Although I want to be with you forever, Diane. I want us to forget everything bad that has happened between us and start again together, with Martha, so we can be the family we should always have been.”  
  
She looked into his eyes and smiled. “I want all that too, Kurt… I want us to love each other every night and to kiss each morning. I want us to cry together every time we remember the child we lost and comfort each other. I want us to discuss politics every time that your stupid Republican mind goes crazy...” she paused to laugh and hear Kurt laugh too. "I want to be with you too, Kurt. I want to be with you for a lifetime and that we can spoil our grandchildren both together..."  
  
"So... Do you accept?" he asked, although he had already seen the answer in her eyes.  
  
She nodded slowly, while another new wave of tears flooded her eyes. Diane smiled broadly and placed both hands around Kurt's neck to lean forward and join their lips in a beautiful affectionate kiss. He responded immediately by running his own hands down her waist and slowly stroking her sides. It was amazing how much they both missed each other's lips, hugs and caresses. They were made for each other, both fit together like two pieces of a perfect puzzle. They could not feel complete if they did not have the other, and at last they had realized that everything they had gone through could not overcome all the love they felt.  
  
Both enjoyed each other's soft lips until they ran out of breath. When they separated, they both looked at each other, without taking their hands off the position in which they had begun the kiss, while they were smiling.  
  
"I love you," she murmured with as much love as she could.  
  
His smile grew bigger. "I love so much."  
  
Both had wasted too much time together to waste just a second now, and after a few minutes, they were kissing again as deep as their bodies allowed.  
  
They knew it wouldn't be easy, but they were sure that no matter what life put in front of them, they wouldn't let that take them apart again. They would be together forever, until the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you really enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you very much for each of your beautiful comments, of your congratulations, they really made me very happy! We will meet again, because this is the first of many stories I plan to write! Thank you for all your love!
> 
> Pd: I added one more chapter because this story has epilogue! Surprise! I will upload it in the next few days, I promise!


	42. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!

_The few strong knocks at his door made him look up from his notes and frown. He clearly did not expect anyone to interrupt him, it was time for final exams and all those people he related to were studying, including his girlfriend. But, although he knew that probably it wasn’t someone important, Kurt put his notes on his desk and got up to answer the door.  
  
He opened the door and his frown became an expression of amazement. His girlfriend, who technically should be in a class, entered his house with strong steps, but not before placing a small kiss on his lips as a greeting.  
  
"Hi, honey," he murmured, closing the door of the house and turning to see her, without completely leaving his astonishment. "Shouldn't you be in a class?"  
  
Diane threw her bag and folder on an armchair, making Kurt look at her with even more open eyes, and ran a hand through her hair, clearly showing how irritated she was. “Can you believe that from all the people in my class, my idiot teacher chose me to make a final presentation on the subject? Me! Surely I am the only idiot who keeps the subjects up to date in the whole class, and therefore, I am the only one who is going to do the final exam of the subject in two weeks, and now I have to prepare an extra work! Couldn't he have chosen one of the idiots of my classmates who only go to sleep in class?” she was practically screaming, as she walked from side to side of the room.  
  
Kurt watched her as she walked from side to side from his place by the door, while he couldn't keep a small smile from forming on his lips. _Always the same, he thought inevitably _, although his smile disappeared completely when Diane stopped and looked at him with a cold, penetrating look.  
  
"Why are you smiling so much?" she asked, not bothering to hide that she was directing all her anger towards him. "Do you find something funny about everything I'm saying?"  
  
He raised both hands, showing himself completely defeated.  “Of course I don't think it's funny, Diane. It's just that we know each other for over 2 years and this has happened several times…”  
  
She frowned. "What do you mean?"  
  
Kurt sighed and moved for the first time since she had arrived to go to the armchair where Diane had left her things and dropped into it. "You want to be the perfect student and that all your teachers recognize you for it, but you complain about an extra job..." she almost interrupted him but he raised a hand in front of her and she stopped. “I don't want to say that what you do is wrong, in fact I am very proud of you for being the best student. But you must understand that sometimes you can't be the best student all the time…”  
  
Diane looked at him for a moment and crossed her arms over her chest, still marking her frown. Of course, Kurt couldn't help smiling again, every time she did that it was because she really knew he was right in what he was saying.  
  
He left Diane's things on the floor for a moment and indicated her to sit beside him. At first she hesitated a moment, but then she walked the few steps that distanced her from her boyfriend and sat beside him.  
  
Kurt put an arm behind her and pulled her to him. After a moment, he spoke again. "This time it may be different..." he muttered, slowly stroking her arm.  
  
"How?" she asked in a whisper, she had rested her head on his chest, feeling completely relaxed for the first time in a long time.  
  
"You could refuse to do the extra work... Or present to do the final exam later..."  
  
She lifted her head slightly from his chest so she could look him in the eye, letting him see her amusement at what Kurt said. "Are you serious? And why would I do something like that?”  
  
He chuckled and then shrugged. "We could even go on a summer vacation together this year if you weren't busy with those final exams."  
  
Now she laughed out loud. "And where would we go, Mr. McVeigh?" she asked, trying to see how far he planned.  
  
"Costa Rica," he replied simply. "I've always wanted to know that country and I think this could be a good opportunity to travel together."  
  
Diane widened her eyes and sat on the armchair more straight, leaving her boyfriend's arms completely, but still looking at him. "Costa Rica?" she asked without leaving her astonishment. "Have you already thought about this?"   
  
Kurt shrugged again. “Actually I have only fantasized about the idea that one day we would travel together. I hadn't thought that it could be now.”  
  
She nodded slowly and fell back on his chest. Kurt had always been the most organized of the two, and it didn't surprise her at all that he had already thought about trips to do together. That man had already shown her that he loved her forever in his life, just as she loved him.  
  
After several minutes of silence, she spoke, but without moving from her comfortable position on him. "I think I can do that extra job without stressing myself so much, I just have to manage to organize my schedules correctly..." she murmured.  
  
Kurt nodded slowly. _Of course she could do it, she could do anything she set out, _he thought vaguely, while smiling again. "Then I must assume that we will not go on a trip together this year?" he asked softly, still stroking her arm.  
  
Surprising her boyfriend clearly, Diane quickly got up from the chair to sit on Kurt’s lap, placing one leg on each side of his body and taking her boyfriend's face in her hands. I promise you that as soon as I become a professional lawyer we will go as far as you want."   
  
He chuckled again, as he slid his hands over his girlfriend's waist. "Okay but I'm going to be waiting for you to keep your promise, Mrs. Lockhart."  
  
Diane smiled and broke the short distance between them to kiss him slowly. It wasn't until they both ran out of air, that she broke the kiss and looked at him again with the same smile on her lips. "I would never let you down, Mr. McVeigh."  
  
  
_\------------------------  
  
  
"You had never told me that story," Martha murmured when her father had finished speaking.  
  
"I think we left it behind with the passing of the years," he mused, moving his gaze from his daughter to Diane, who nodded distractedly, without taking her eyes off the horizon in front of her.  
  
They were both walking beside him along the beach with the sea gently bumping into their feet. Martha was walking more along the sea side, playing distractedly with the water, while Kurt wrapped Diane's shoulders with his left arm and she let herself rest on the chest of the man she loved so much, while running a hand along his waist. It had been Kurt's idea that the three of them should leave the hotel to enjoy the last sunset they would see during their vacation in Costa Rica, since the next day the three of them had to return to their obligations in the United States.  
  
Actually the trip to Costa Rica had emerged as an excuse to celebrate the first year that Diane and Kurt had been together after everything that happened between them. For the first time in many years, Diane had not cared to leave her job for a few weeks to evoke herself completely to her family, which was more united than ever. Since the two of them returned to be officially together, Martha had rarely been able to separate from them at any of their special moments, and they had also done nothing to keep their daughter away from them. They were happy to be able to enjoy all those moments as a happy family, finally leaving the past completely behind, and concentrating on the beautiful moments the three could live together.  
  
When they proposed this trip to Marha, she accepted almost immediately, without trying to hide the happiness she felt from having a family vacation. She wasn't going to hide that this was something she had wanted so much since she was a little girl, that she had already come to believe that one day it would come true.  
  
"Technically mom kept her word..." Martha said breaking the little silence that had formed. "It wasn't until she was a complete lawyer that you came to Costa Rica."  
  
"A complete and successful lawyer I should say," Kurt added with a smile on his lips, as he looked at Diane.  
  
Diane looked away from the sunset for a moment to look at the two people she loved most in the world and roll her eyes with fun, which made Martha and Kurt laugh out loud, they both knew Diane didn't like much the compliments.  
  
"I think this is the most beautiful moment in the world..." Diane murmured, bringing her gaze back to the horizon.  
  
Martha and Kurt exchanged glances and they both nodded before Martha spoke again. "I think it could be even more perfect..."  
  
Diane looked at her daughter quickly and frowned. "I don't know what you mean but I doubt that there is something more perfect than this."  
  
Martha looked at her mother defiantly, but still smiling. "Do you want to bet?"  
  
Diane couldn't help laughing at the ridiculousness of her daughter. "I would bet anything, because I know perfectly well that I would win."  
  
Then Kurt stopped in the middle of the beach, causing Diane to slow down and look at him with a completely bewildered expression, but when she was about to ask what was going on, Kurt took a small box out of his pants pocket and knelt in front of her.  
  
 _Of course it could be more_ _perfect_ , Diane thought immediately, knowing in advance what that man was going to do.  
  
"I don't think there is any word left that I haven't told you about what I feel for you," Kurt began slowly, as he passed Diane's gaze to his daughter, who was about to start crying with emotion, and his daughter's towards Diane, who was staring at him with a smile on her lips. “It's been about 30 years since I fell in love with you forever, and although life separated us a few years, that love remains  intact from the moment I met you, Diane. A year ago we met again, this time forever, and I want our love to be sealed in front of everyone if it’s necessary. I love you like I’ve never loved anyone in my whole life, Di… I want to be with you until we are old and we can't remember anything but our love…” he paused a moment to open the small box he held in his hand. Once the box was opened and showed a beautiful golden ring with small diamonds around it, he asked the question he wanted to ask so many years ago. "Diane Lockhart, love of my life, would you make me the happiest man in the world marrying me?"  
  
Diane let out a sob of happiness that not even she knew she was holding and nodded quickly, as tears fell more frequently down her cheeks. "Yes, of course I would marry you, my love," she managed to say before another sob left her.  
  
Kurt also felt his tears were falling and smiled even more when he heard the positive response from his future wife. He got up from the sand, took the ring out of the case and placed it on Diane’s finger and then placed a small kiss on it with the engagement ring on.  
  
Without letting a second pass, Diane took him by the neck and kissed him deeply, trying to show him all the love she felt for him at that moment.  
  
The only witness of that moment began to clap and jump instead, causing the bride and groom to break their kiss and look at their daughter with a huge smile on their faces.  
  
Martha, unable to wait another second, approached them to wrap them in a huge group hug. "I am the happiest person in the world... I love you so much, mom and dad..." she murmured, crying more and more.  
  
"You are the most beautiful thing of our lives, my girl," Kurt replied, leaving a small kiss on Martha's forehead.  
  
"We love you, honey," Diane murmured slowly, stroking her daughter's cheek, still smiling.  
  
This was perfection itself and the three of them could not help thanking life for allowing them to reach that wonderful moment. The road had been difficult, it had been full of obstacles, stones and detours, but they had finally managed to reach that moment of absolute happiness. And they knew it wouldn't always be that perfect, that there would be bad times, but they also knew perfectly well they would be together. United as a true family. And that was the most important of all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for joining me on this beautiful road!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are more than gratified.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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